Lost Too Much
by BH72
Summary: When the team are told Hetty has suddenly been forced on a vacation, they are told to behave with her replacement. There is more to her replacement, than any of them thought. And what is really going on with Hetty? Slight crossover with NCIS. Story involves the whole team. Something good comes Callen's way. Pairing: Callen/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

_Here I go again, a new story. Hope you enjoy this one, as much as Double Take. I will get back to Double Take soon. This is not a sequel, just a new story that popped into my head recently._

**Chapter 1**

Callen strode into the mission like any other day, ready for whatever his job threw at him. He arrived at the bull pen, and smiled at his partner. "Morning Sam."

Sam looked up and returned the smile. "Morning G. Looks like we're the first in again."

Callen looked over at Hetty's office, and thought it was strange for her not to be sitting behind her desk, sipping on a cup of tea. "Hetty not in yet?"

"No."

"Strange." Callen added, before they could hear the familiar bantering from their junior team members. Callen turned and smiled, as he often did, when Kensi and Deeks arrived together. "Morning Kens, Deeks."

"Morning Sam, Callen." Kensi replied.

"And what a good morning it is." Deeks added. He was on a high from a good surf, that morning.

Sam shook his head and chuckled. "Get laid by any chance last night, Deeks?"

Deeks frowned. "Um, no."

"Then why the good spirits?" Sam always liked to push the Detective, that bit further, for amusement.

"The waves were perfect this morning, and then I was greeted by my lovely partner with coffee and donuts." He answered honestly.

Kensi sniggered over Deeks remarks about her.

"What?" Deeks was always being picked on by the other members of his team. But to be honest, he loved the attention. It was far more attention than he had ever received at LAPD. So he saw it as a sign that they liked him.

Callen and Sam chuckled at the younger man.

Their smiles vanished at the sudden appearance of their least favourite visitor into the Office of Special Projects, Owen Granger.

"Morning." Granger greeted them, fully aware his appearance dulled their mood.

"Morning Assistant Director." They replied.

"Hetty has taken a month's vacation, so you will have to do without her for a while." Granger advised them. He saw panic appear across their faces, but noted Callen quickly hid his away.

"Why are we only being told about this now?" Callen asked him, curious, but also worried about their Mother hen.

"It's happened over the weekend. She's accrued too much overtime, so she has been forced to have a break."

"You know the last time Hetty disappeared, we had to rescue her from the Comescus in Romania." Callen piped in. He worried she had suddenly disappeared.

"She has not disappeared, Agent Callen. However, this office cannot survive without an Operations Manager, so another agent will step in, during this time." He saw their mistrust of a newcomer. "I am aware how you all reacted to Agent Hunter, when she filled in last time for Hetty. I expect you to give your total loyalty and respect to her fill-in." He knew he had to tread carefully, after what he heard about the run-ins between Hunter and Callen. "Hetty has procured an experienced agent as her replacement. She will expect you to cooperate with her."

"So Hetty's fill-in, as you call them, is a woman?" Callen noticed his use of term, her, in his words.

Sam looked over at his partner, and thought back to Hunter's time as Operations Manager. He worried how Callen would take this change.

"Yes. Her name is Bronte Smith, from our New York Office." Granger replied. "While there is no case as yet, this morning, I suggest you complete your back log of paperwork.

They all grumbled, and got to work. It hadn't been long, before a woman, in her late thirties, entered the mission. She had long brunette hair, that she had pulled down over one of her shoulders with a plait. She was dressed in a pants suit, with a tan leather jacket hanging over a rather feminine printed blouse. All four occupants of the bull pen's heads sprang up, as they watched her walk passed them, and over to Hetty's office. Work stopped, as the four of them watched and quietly chatted about the new comer.

Bronte Smith placed her suitcase on the floor beside the chair and shook Owen Granger's hand. "Hello Owen, it's been a while."

"Bronte, it's so good to see you again." She sat opposite Granger, at Hetty's desk. "You're looking well."

"Thank you Owen. Always the charmer, aren't you?"

"Not here, I'm not. They don't like outsiders. Hetty's single handedly picked her team, and while they are the best at what they do, they are a very close team, and don't play well with strangers." He warned her.

"Oh goody. Just what I needed to hear." She looked around Hetty's office. "So this is where Hetty spends all her time, these days?" Bronte smiled as she saw the familiar photos around the office. "It feels like her, here."

"Yes it does." Granger returned her smile. "Have you seen her yet?"

"No, Owen. I've come straight from the airport. My flight was delayed leaving JFK." She leaned over the desk, and lowered her voice. "Do any of her team know what's going on?" She needed to know how much or little, the team she was working with knew about Hetty, and the reason why she was there.

"I've only told them the basics, Bronte. That Hetty has been forced to take a holiday, due to having too much time accrued." Bronte frowned at Owen's answer.

"The truth always works best, in my theory with dealing with a team like this one, Owen. Lauren told me how they behaved when she filled in for Hetty last time. I won't tolerate that behaviour from them. It nearly killed Lauren, the way Agent Callen treated her. After all those years of hearing Hetty speak volumes of wonderful stories about him, and watching over him all these years, she didn't deserve it." She leaned in close again. "Lauren risked her life to pose as Ilena Vadim, just to protect him from the Comescus.

"Well if Lauren had perhaps chosen to tell Agent Callen what she had done, then perhaps their time working together, would have been more tolerable." Owen advised her. It was before he had moved over to NCIS, from the CIA, but he had been briefed on the situation by Lauren, before she was killed.

"For goodness sake Owen, she's no longer with us to be able to defend herself on the matter." She whispered. Owen saw Bronte's visage darken.

"I'm sorry, Bronte. I know the two of you were close, and all the rest that has happened in the past year. I should have held my tongue." Owen regretted his words. He was concerned over Hetty's decision to have Bronte fill-in for her, after the events that had happened over the past couple of years to her. he wondered whether she was capable of doing the job.

"She was the closest I ever had to a sister." She whispered. Bronte took a deep breath in and held it. She had doubted too, her ability for this position, even if it was only for a month. She hoped that was all the time it was, as she worried over Hetty.

"Why don't you go and visit with her? There is no pressing cases at the moment. That way she can hand over details of the team and anything Hetty may need to advise you of, before things become hectic here." Owen had noticed the four sets of eyes watching them and discussing between themselves.

"Thanks Owen, I'd appreciate that." She rose and placed a smile on her face. "I'll be contactable on my cell, incase you need me."

"Yes, I'll call if we need you back sooner."

Bronte stood and headed for the exit. She noticed the audience in the bull pen, so she turned and smiled before leaving.

"Was that her?" Kensi wondered.

"I don't know." Callen answered, unsure.

"Well if she was Agent Smith, then why has she left already?" Deeks questioned.

"One look at your ugly face, did it, Deeks." Sam joked.

"Hey!" Jokes aside, they were curious as to what was going on.

Callen watched Granger walk up to OPS. "Cover for me, while I go and see if Hetty has left the reservation again!"

"Yeah, sure." Sam replied.

Bronte pulled up the long sweeping driveway, in front of the large, red brick home. Memories flooded back to the forefront of her mind, as she walked towards the door. She used her own set of keys, and allowed herself in.

"Mom?" She called out. "It's me, Bronte."

"In here, dear." Bronte followed her Mother's voice, and found her sitting in the conservatory with another familiar face. "Père, you're here." She ran over to the dark hard man, sitting beside her Mother.

He stood and caught his daughter in his arms. "Bonjour, my sweet daughter."

"Bonjour Père." Bronte smiled up at her Father. He kissed her on both cheeks.

"Hello Mother." Bronte bent down and hugged her Mom. She studied her Mother to see if what she had heard was true. "How are you feeling?"

"Hello my dear Bronte. I've felt better." She sighed. "But you, my dearest, are looking well. How have you been? I hardly get to see you these days."

Bronte noticed her Mom seemed more tired than usual, but otherwise, the same as she had seen her a few months ago. "Thank you Mom. Getting there, slowly. Max sends lots of hugs and kisses." She added. She smiled thinking of her eight year old son. "Also Jethro and Abby send their wishes to you too."

"Thank you, dear." She smiled at her daughter. "I miss seeing Max. He always makes you feel happy, no matter how bad things have been."

"I know, he's been a blessing for me. I don't know how I would have gotten through this past year without him." It was almost a year since her husband Greg had been gunned down, in front of their children. He had been undercover for three months, and they thought they had caught all of the members of the drug cartel. Only to find they had missed one, who had found Greg and had his revenge. But her pain didn't end there. Their ten year old daughter, Carrie, had been killed by the Columbian, as well. It had nearly killed her. She was thankful Max had been spared. It was only a year after she had lost her sister, Lauren Hunter. After her Mother had brought her home from the orphanage, the two had become best friends. Within a year, she had lost three members of her family. And now she was faced with her Mother's illness.

"Père, I have some photos from our holiday, when we first met. It's somewhere in my old bedroom." Bronte suddenly needed a change of subject. She climbed the stairs quickly, before either of her parents tried to convince her to change her mind. She opened the door to her childhood bedroom, and was taken back in time. Tears streaked down her face, as memories of her and Lauren sitting on her bed talking and laughing about boys, music and fashion. "I miss you Lauren." She whispered. Bronte picked up her soft brown bear, she'd had since childhood, and squeezed it tight. "Help me be strong, Honey, I've lost too much already. I can't lose anyone else, especially not my Mom." She sat down on her bed and found comfort in her old bear.

She blinked the tears away from her eyes and saw a blue and green coloured box on the bookshelf. Amused that it was still where she had left it, all those years ago, Bronte walked over and carried it back to the bed. Carefully she lifted the lid off, and a smile returned to her face. "I can't believe Mom kept all of these for me." She opened each of her paintings and drawings from her childhood, and laughed at the picture she had drawn of her family. She remembered drawing this at school. In the background was a map, and on the map stood people. Her family. Her Father was making chocolate eclairs, in Southern France, whilst she, Lauren and her Mother were at the beach, in Los Angeles. A small plane spanned across the United States and the Atlantic Ocean, to where her Father lived. She had drawn the Eiffel Tower in, to show the country was France. But what she had forgotten, and made her curious then, was a drawing of a boy, in Los Angeles, with lots of houses drawn next to him. He looked sad, and suddenly she realised who she had drawn in her family picture. G Callen. She had only been thirteen, when she had drawn this picture, it was for an assignment on families for History. It had been a few months after she had first visited her own Father. Hence the elaborate detail of the plane flight to Southern France and her Father cooking at his restaurant. But what surprised her, was the impact of her Mother trying hard to find a family for G Callen, had on her back then. She was aware her Mother had tried very hard, and remembered asking her Mom to have him come live to with them. She had seen sadness in her Mother's eyes, and had replied, "he can't." She had never understood her Mother's reasons. Perhaps that was why she had included him in this drawing.

Bronte, with box in tow, walked back down the stairs, eager to reminisce old family photos, with her parents. It had been a very long time she had both parents to herself. A year ago, she had too many people around her, trying to offer some kind of comfort, for all her suffering. But here she was, if only for a short time, with both of her parents. She was going to make the most of it.

"I can't believe you kept all of my old paintings and drawings from when I was a kid, Mom!". Bronte blurted out, as she entered into the room. "Père, I have to show you this drawing I did for History, about our family." She noticed her Mom's look of discomfort. "Are you alright Mom?" She followed her Mother's look, and stopped in her tracks. "Hello." She greeted the visitor. "I'm Bronte Smith."

G Callen rose from the seat he had been sitting in, to return the greeting. "Hi. G Callen." He shook her hand and felt a spark of electricity run up his arm. He noticed she jumped from the touch.

Bronte quickly removed herself from him, surprised over the shock from touching him. "Pleased to meet you." She replied.

Callen assessed her before continuing. "You called Hetty Mom!" He waited patiently, as he watched her react to his statement.

Bronte knew she had been caught out. The last thing she had wanted, was for the people she was to work with, know she was Hetty's daughter. "Yes, I did." She looked over towards her Mother, and saw amusement in her eyes. "I suppose you think this is funny." She stated to her Mother. "It was you who kept me quiet all these years, remember?"

"Yes I did, my dear Bronte, but, the look on your face, when you realised we had company, was amusing." Hetty smiled at her senior agent. "I must apologise Mr Callen, for my habit for keeping secrets. It's been a hard one to kick."

Callen looked between Mother and daughter. Then he remembered her calling Hetty's French visitor, Père. 'French for Father.' He looked over at the Frenchman, whom Hetty had introduced as Philipe Reinard. "And Philipe is your Father?"

Bronte smiled. "Yes he is."

"But your name is Smith!" He questioned her.

Bronte laughed. Everything her Mother had told her of this G Callen was right. Inquisitive, with trust issues. "Smith is my married name."

"Oh." Callen felt awkward for the silly admission. 'So she was married.' He thought. 'So why was he disappointed?' It puzzled him, as he had only just met her. "So, is your husband here in LA with you?" 'Why did it matter?' He pushed those questions to the back of his head, when he had time to analyse them, himself.

Bronte's smile disappeared. "No."

Philipe and Hetty noticed the change in Bronte immediately. "What did you want to show me?" Philipe asked his daughter, trying hard to change the conversation.

"Oh." Now it was Bronte's turn to feel awkward. She no longer had the desire to show her Father the picture she had drawn, with G Callen in the house. "It was nothing."

To her annoyance, she saw Callen pull the top drawing outing the box and opened it. She reddened, as embarrassment took over. "This is a really good drawing." Callen told her.

Philipe walked over to Callen to look at his daughter's drawing. "I agree, Bronte, you are very talented." He laughed. "Look at me, cooking in my restaurant, in Tofino. Did you draw this after your holiday, when we first met?"

Bronte nodded. "It was for an History assignment, on families."

Callen studied the drawing and noticed the sad boy with lots of houses next to him. "Whose this sad boy?"

Bronte looked over to her Mother, feeling awkward. Hetty remained silent. "Um, it's...you." She stuttered.

"Me?" Callen was surprised to see he was included in her family drawing. "Why?" He asked her. "We've only just met." He was puzzled.

"Bronte was more aware of my watching over you as you were growing up, than I had realised." Hetty finally spoke. "She had asked me to have you live with us, when I couldn't find you a family."

Callen tried hard to keep his emotions in check. It was a question he had wondered, after he had found out that she had tried to find him a family. "Why didn't you?" He suddenly felt like that young boy again. He looked over towards the older woman.

"I couldn't. I needed to hide you to keep you safe, from the Comescus." She stated. She knew he would come over to visit her that morning, after he had heard she was on vacation. After all, he had followed her all the way to Romania, the last time she didn't turn up for work.

"But they found me anyway!" She knew he was right.

"When you were old enough to defend yourself. And I had Bronte and Lauren to consider as well." She really was getting too old for this now. Perhaps Bronte had been right all along. Perhaps it would have been best for Callen, had she been honest with him from the beginning, and taken him in.

"Mom, I'm sorry." Bronte began. "I shouldn't have brought these drawings down. They've opened up too many old wounds. You need your rest. I better go." She turned to Callen. "I will see you later?"

"Uh, yes." Callen handed her drawing back to her.

"I will come by later, to see you, Mom." She kissed her Mother on the cheek. "Père, are you cooking tonight?" She asked her Father, as she kissed him on his cheeks.

"I am. Any requests?" He loved to cook, but mostly, he loved cooking for his family.

"Can I be cheeky, and ask for a dessert, from across the border?" She asked him.

"Ah! Oui, Panna Cotta. Your favourite. For you, my dearest Bronte, of course."

"Merci, Père." Bronte excused herself from them and headed back to the mission. She sighed as she sat in the car. Meeting G Callen like that had thrown her off balance, in more ways than she thought possible.

"You'll have to excuse our daughter, Mr Callen." Philipe began. "She's been through a few tough years." He looked over at Hetty. Hetty nodded back, to allow him to continue. "Bronte has lost too much recently. Firstly, Lauren, her sister, and then almost a year ago, her husband and daughter were killed. All she has left, are us and her son, Max."

Callen looked over at Hetty. "Greg Smith was her husband?"

Hetty nodded. "Yes."

Callen realised, Bronte's daughter, was Hetty and Philipe's granddaughter. "I'm sorry for your loss." Gibbs had told Callen a year earlier about a friend in New York, an NCIS Agent, who had been gunned down by some Columbian Drug Cartel, who he had infiltrated and thought they had captured or killed them all. Gibbs had also told him how the daughter had been senselessly killed as well, but the son, had been spared. It brought back memories for Callen, over his own Mother's execution by the Comescus, and how he had been spared.

"Thank you, Mr Callen." Philipe and Hetty responded in unison.

"Thank you for the tea. I better get back to the office." Callen let himself out of the red brick home, he and Sam had escaped from, while being gunned down by hired gunmen, three years ago.

Hetty sighed, when she and Philippe were alone. "So that was the boy Bronte told me about, when I met her?"

Hetty nodded. "I wish I had done more."

"It sounds to me, you did more than anyone else. What about his Father?" Philipe had wondered why any parent would leave their children in the hands of the state, like that.

"We never found out. Oh I wished we had found out more for him. It's been hard keeping what I did know from him, until I was certain he was safe." She sighed again. All her years of being everyone's secret keeper, had taken a toll on her.

"I should get you to the hospital now, Henrietta." He looked over at his dear friend with sadness. He had worried about her often, over the years, but more so now.

"Thank you Philippe, for being here for us. It means a great deal, to know that you will be in this large house with Bronte, while I am in hospital. I am concerned if this operation is not successful, what it would do to her." Philipe helped her up off the chair, and supported her.

"Whenever you need me, Henriette, dear." Philipe continued to support Hetty out to her car, before driving her to the hospital.

_Love to know what your thoughts are on this new story. Please review._


	2. Chapter 2

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 2**

When Bronte arrived back at the mission, she wasn't surprised to see Owen sitting at her Mother's desk. As she approached him, he looked up and smiled. "How did your visit go?"

"Ok. My Father was there, so we couldn't talk shop." She added. "And I met G Callen, who was also visiting my Mother."

Granger creased his brow. "He did?" He was annoyed he had been left out of the loop on the team leader's whereabouts.

"Don't worry Owen, Hetty was expecting him." She gave him a reassuring smile. "She never mentioned to him about being unwell, so I am unsure if he's picked up on her lack of sparkle."

"He'll know something is wrong. He always knows." Granger told her. "Expect him to interrogate you later on Hetty."

She nodded. "So where is everyone?" She had noticed the empty bull pen when she had walked in.

"Up in the OPS centre. We have a case. Nothing pressing yet, just information gathering, at the moment." Bronte nodded. "It would be a good opportunity for you to observe, and meet Mr Beale and Miss Jones."

Bronte followed Owen up the stairs and in through the sliding doors. They entered the OPS Centre, unnoticed, and could hear the tall man with shaggy blonde hair, tell them a funny story. She noticed a petite red haired woman, still in her twenties, Bronte concluded, giving him a look to stop talking. She found it rather amusing, and could see working there could be very interesting. But she hid her amusement for the time being. She could laugh about it later, with her Mother. She really hoped her Mother would come out from her operation ok.

"I would like to introduce you to Agent Bronte Smith. She will be filling in for Hetty, while she's on vacation." Bronte noticed you could almost cut the air in the room with a knife.

"Hello. Bronte, will be fine." She gave them a smile, hoping they would relax around her.

"Hi, I'm Kensi Blye." The tall brunette walked closer and shook her hand. Bronte noticed the unusual mark in one of her eyes. "This is my partner, Detective Marty Deeks." Bronte shook the shaggy blonde's hand.

"Detective?" She asked, curiously.

"He's our LAPD Liason officer. He's well experienced in deep cover work." Granger filled in for her. She really had hoped to have been briefed by her Mother, but was glad her Father was in town.

"I'm Nell Jones, and this is Eric Beale. We're the go to people for intelligence gathering etc." Bronte smiled at the younger woman. A younger version of her Mother, she noted.

"And I'm Sam Hanna." The former Navy SEAL shook her hand. "Sorry, but my partner isn't here at the moment."

"You were a SEAL, Agent Hanna?" She asked. He nodded. "You remind me of my husband. He too was a SEAL." It was the manner of Sam Hanna, that had reminded her of him. Suddenly she felt like running out of the room to cry. 'Why am I here?' She asked herself.

Sam could see the woman before him was trying really hard to keep her emotions under control. But he was impressed how she had handled herself. 'Something had obviously happened to her husband.' He concluded.

"I'm only temporary, so you don't need to worry about Hetty not coming back. She assured me, you will give me the respect you give her, and together we can run this place smoothly, as if she was here." She saw a couple of them shift with uneasiness. This had obviously been a bad area for them to trust.

She heard the doors behind her open, but chose to ignore it, knowing it was G Callen, who had arrived back. "I will only observe, for the first couple of days, to see how this team works. However, if I see a need for improvement anywhere, I will pass on my suggestions." Bronte could feel Callen's presence behind her. Although it was difficult, she chose to ignore him.

"That's a great idea, thank you Agent Smith." Callen was almost breathing down the back of her neck, when he spoke, sending shivers down her spine.

'Why did he have such an effect on her?' She pondered. They had only just met today. Although she had known about him for most of her life.

Sam, and the others looked on, surprised Callen had agreed with Bronte, yet, none of them had seen them meet before. "So what details about this case, do we have right now?" Callen ignored everyone's looks and took over the briefing.

Thankfully, for Bronte, he moved into the centre of the room, so she was in her own space again, enabling her to concentrate on the job at hand. She was impressed with how he handled the team, and his thoughts on the case, as information was provided to him. 'Greg would have loved working here with Callen.' She thought. 'The two of them would have been good friends.'  
She continued to observe, and when the team had dispersed, she walked downstairs, to become familiar with her Mother's desk.

Three hours later, Bronte thought she was alone downstairs. It seemed quiet, but she felt a pair of eyes on her. When Bronte looked up, she saw Callen standing, ever so quietly leaning on the edge of the wooden beam. He had caught her of guard, a third time, that day. "Can I help you with anything Agent Callen?"

Callen moved closer and sat opposite her. "What's wrong with Hetty?" He asked softly.

Owen had prepared her for this moment, but she thought it would come at the end of the day, not then. She took a deep breath, before she answered him. "She's not well." She stated. She could see Callen trying to read her eyes. 'Boy those eyes of his, were so vivid.' Although her eyes were also blue, they were clearer, like her Mother's.

"I gathered that, when I visited her." He paused, before continuing, as he was aware of what she had been through recently. "What is wrong with her?" He sat with his arms crossed over his chest, as he waited for her reply.

"Cancer." Bronte breathed out. She noticed Callen's expression of worry crossed his face, for a brief moment. "I'm sorry, Agent Callen, I am aware how dear she is to you." She paused, as she was finding this harder than it should have been. "She should have told you all herself, but especially you." Bronte hugged herself, for a brief moment, before leaning over the desk. "The Doctor found a tumour in her liver. They are operating on her today, to remove it. And most probably will have to removed half of her liver as well." She shrugged back into the seat. Suddenly she felt scared. Saying it out loud, brought all her fears to the forefront of her mind.

"I'm sorry, Bronte." She looked up at him, when he said her name. It was the first time he had called her Bronte, and not Agent Smith. "You've been through so much already, I realise you have more reason to worry over her."

"Callen, please." She placed her hand over his, forgetting the last time they touched, and received another electric shock, which travelled from her hand up her arm. She quickly removed it. "You're like a son to her. She should have told you. It's only natural for you to worry the same as I do." She gently rubbed her arm, wondering why, every time she has any physical contact with him, she reacted that way.

"Thanks." Callen noticed Bronte react again, and he too felt the shock from their skin contact. If he hadn't been so worried about Hetty, he might have been amused. The way she reacted to the shock, he found it endearing. He couldn't remember ever having that kind of reaction when he had physical contact with anyone before.

Silence grew between the two. "Is there anything else you wanted to speak to me about, Callen? I thought you had gone out with your partner?"

"No. They can do without me for the time being." He studied her features and mannerisms, trying to understand the woman who sat before him. 'Definitely takes after her Father.' He concluded. 'Except for the eyes. They were definitely Hetty's eyes.'

"Would you like to join my Father and I for dinner tonight?" Bronte felt the need to make an effort with Callen, for her Mother's sake. And she really wanted to understand the man who made her body tingle every time they touched. "My Father is a condon bleu chef, with his own restaurant in Tofino, on the Mediterranean. He will cook way too much for the two of us."

"I'd love to." He answered her with a smile. Bronte returned the smile.

"Looks like we'll have more company tonight." Callen turned to see a familiar figure enter the mission. Bronte was already running over to him, embracing him with a big hug. "Jethro. It's so good to see you."

"You too, Bronte. You look well." He kissed her on her temple as he looked over her towards Callen, who had walked over towards them. "Hello Callen. It's been a while."

"Gibbs. Yes, it has." Jethro Gibbs released his embrace from Bronte, and shook Callen's hand.

Bronte looked on at the two friends, and realised they had two people in common, whom they were both close too. Her Mother and Gibbs. "You will also have to join my Father and I for dinner, Jethro. I've just invited Callen, and he's accepted."

"Philipe is here?" Gibbs asked surprised.

"Yes he is, which I am glad about. It will make staying in that house more homely. I never liked staying in it on my own. I could never understand why Mom still lives there, all by herself.

"Yes, I will, thank you Bronte. That's good to hear, that your Father is here." Gibbs was relieved, as he had flown over, to ensure Bronte was ok, after Leon had told him about Bronte filling in for Hetty. "Abby sends you a big hug too." He squeezed Bronte again.

"Thanks Jethro. I miss her hugs."

"I'll let her know. She wanted to come as well, but she's too busy at work, at the moment."

Gibbs looked between the two and smiled. "First day been good for you so far Bronte? Because if Callen here doesn't behave himself, all you have to do is say the word, and I'll be here in a flash."

"Yes it has, so far. Thank you Jethro. But Callen has been a pure gentleman, today. Yet you are here anyway? What have we done to deserve your presence?" Bronte smiled. Callen noted how Gibbs had the knack to bring her smile out so easily. She radiated, when she smiled, and Callen so wanted to see her smile a whole lot more.

"I'm on vacation and I heard you were here, so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and visit two very dear friends at the one time." Bronte loved seeing Jethro like this. Relaxed and happy.

"It seems a few NCIS employees are on vacation at the moment." Callen added.

Gibbs raised his brow, wondering what Callen was getting at.

"Hetty." Gibbs was still confused.

"That's the story Owen is telling the team here." Bronte explained. "Not what I would have done, however, with my Father in town, it's probably best no one knows about Hetty, for now. Trying to explain to my Father that she and I are Federal Agents could be an interesting one."

Their conversation was interrupted by Bronte's phone buzzing. Gibbs and Callen watched Bronte, as she listened to the other person on the phone. When she hung up, she disappeared into the armory. Both men were concerned over her departure, but felt she needed the space, so they left her be. For the moment.

"So where is everyone?" Gibbs asked Callen.

"Sam, Kensi and Deeks are out chasing up a lead, and the rest of the team are up in OPS." Callen looked up and saw Granger disappear into OPS.

"Nice digs, you have here, Callen. A whole lot nicer than your last one."

"It's not the same without Macey, though." Callen missed his old friend. They all had lost too much already.

"No, it wouldn't be. So where's the tall Psychologist?" Gibbs had clear memories of him trying to resolve what had transpired years ago between him and Macey.

"Nate? He's around, now and then. When he's not needed somewhere else. Where ever that may be at the moment." They never knew when they would see Nate next. Although they didn't like Nate trying to get inside their heads, they missed the big guy.

"Would you like to see the OPS Centre while you're here?"

"Yeah, that would be nice, Callen. Thanks." Callen lead Gibbs upstairs and in through the sliding doors. Inside sat Nell and Eric, with Granger on a third computer working.

"Hi Gibbs, good to see you again." Owen greeted him.

"Hello Owen. I never know where we're going to meet next!" Gibbs turned to the other two figures in the room. "Hello Eric. Abby says hi."

"Hi Gibbs. Thanks. Abby said you were coming our way." Eric stood to shake the older man's hand. "I don't think you two have met. Nell, this is Agent Gibbs, from our Washington Office."

"Hi Gibbs." Nell greeted him. Eric gave her a confused look.

"Hi Nell. It's good to see you again." He hugged the petite woman. "It's ok Eric. Nell and I met before she came to LA." Eric nodded. He had no idea the two had met before. "Nice digs, you have here Eric and Nell."

"Thanks." They replied.

Callen decided to go and check on Bronte, while Gibbs seemed to be in good hands conversing with the others. As he approached the door to the firing range, he heard multiple gunshots ring out. Looking through the window, he saw Bronte shoot her target with a bullseye. 'Great shot like her Mom.' He thought. He was taken back to Hunter, when he had walked in on her shooting in there, on her first day. She had been terrible, yet in Romania, she had proven to be a perfect mark. Later on, he learned Hetty had found Hunter in an orphanage and taken her home with her. He knew he had to tread carefully with Bronte, as he had been too harsh with Hunter. But she hadn't helped herself either, with the way she behaved around him.

Bronte placed her safety clip back on her weapon and removed the ear muffs and glasses. She pressed the button to bring her target sheet forward.

"Great shot." Bronte turned and saw Callen had entered in to the firing range.

"Thanks." 'Why had she been surprised that he would follow her? She knew he had with Lauren a few years ago. She had told her. She remembered her words. "I was so upset with him. He's a stubborn bastard, who cannot trust anyone else. Then he had to watch me at the firing range. I let my emotions get the better of me, and my shots were the worst I have ever made." She had felt terrible for Lauren at the time, and had comforted her. She knew Lauren had feelings for him. But the two of them reacted so badly together. Yet she hadn't seen any of that from him, herself. In fact, he couldn't seem to leave her alone, for a completely different reason. 'Was it because he knew she was Hetty's daughter?' She wasn't sure.

"I remember watching Hunter come in here on her first day, she was terrible." Bronte turned and glared at him. "But she proved me wrong, when she saved my life, by shooting Alexa Comescu dead." He added.

"You had upset her, Callen." She whispered. She turned and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm sorry the the two of you clashed. But she had done so much to protect you from the Comescus...it hurt her, when you met, because you did not trust her."

Callen gently brushed her hair off her face. Bronte shivered. "I didn't know at the time. If only..."

"Yeah, I know. If only she had told you the truth. I tried to convince her honesty was the best way to deal with you. But she was as stubborn as you were." Bronte took a step back. "Please don't, Callen. I can't..." She turned and walked into the armory to clean her weapon. She had felt him move in closer towards her. She couldn't go there again. Not with anyone, and especially not someone who she worked with.

"Bronte, I'm sorry, if I've over stepped the mark. It's just..." How could he explain to her, when he didn't understand it himself. He remained standing on the other side of the desk, to give them some distance.

"No problem Callen. It's already forgotten." She continued cleaning her weapon, until she was satisfied it was clean, before she put her weapon back together again.

"Are you ok? You seemed upset after your phone call." She looked up at him.

"Nothing evades you, does it Callen?"

"Not much."

"It was the hospital. Mom's in recovery. The operation went better than they had expected." She hugged herself, and wished Jethro or her Father were there to comfort her.

"That's great news, Bronte. So when can we see her?" He was eager to see for himself, that she really was ok. He noticed Bronte's reaction to the news. He remembered Philipe's words a few hours earlier, about all she had been through. "Hetty is tough as they come. She'll recover before you know it, and you'll be kicked back to New York." Bronte laughed. He smiled, because he had made her laugh. Man was she beautiful when she laughed!

"Thanks Callen. I needed that. We can go now, if you like? I'll just let Owen know and find Jethro, he'll want to come too. I'm sure that is why he's here. To keep an eye on me. I don't know why he wastes his vacation coming here though, he should go fishing instead."

"Because he cares, Bronte. Gibbs told me about your husband and daughter. I am so sorry, I didn't realise at first, that Greg Smith was your husband." He restrained himself from holding her. He saw her pain in her eyes, and so badly wanted to take her pain away. To comfort her.

"I know. Thanks Callen, it means a lot." Callen followed Bronte out of the armory and soon found Gibbs and Owen having a good laugh. It surprised him that Gibbs and Owen could actually be friends. He still had his doubts over the man. Perhaps he should listen to Hetty's advice, and try to trust people more.

When Sam, Kensi and Deeks returned, they wondered where Callen was. Sam walked into OPS and found Eric alone. "Where's Callen and Agent Smith?"

"No idea. But Agent Gibbs was in here earlier, so perhaps they've taken him out for lunch?" Eric knew Gibbs and Callen went way back, so just assumed that's what had happened.

"Can you put a trace on Callen's cell, please Eric?" Sam asked the Technical Operator.

"Yeah, sure." Eric typed in the details and a map popped up on the screen. "It says he's at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. Why would Callen be at a hospital?"

"Not sure. He's been behaving strange since he left to see Hetty this morning. Not a word to anyone, Eric."

"Ok." Worry crossed over Eric's face, hoping it didn't mean that Hetty was in hospital. She was the one who visited the field agents, when they had been injured. It didn't sit well with him, that she could possibly be a patient in there. He decided to phone Abby, seeing Gibbs was in town. 'Yep, he'd use that as an excuse.' While Nell was out getting lunch for the whole team, it was the perfect time for him.

"Hi Eric, how are you? Have you seen Gibbs yet?" How's Bronte going on her first day? How are you all going with Hetty being in hospital? You all must be worried sick over her." Abby always answered her calls with so many questions, it made Eric dizzy.

"Hi Abby. So Hetty is in hospital!" He replied.

"What, no one has told you guys? Why wouldn't Owen tell you? He didn't leave it up to Bronte to tell you did he? Oh he's naughty some times."

"Abby. Please." He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Eric. I've been so busy, I've..."

"How much cafpow have your had today Abby?" He understood the effects the high sugar and caffeine drink had on the forensic scientist.

"Three?" He could tell Abby was trying to justify three, when in fact she had probably had five to six.

"Abby!" He scalded her lovingly.

"I've been so busy, and I've been worried about Hetty and Bronte. And I miss Gibbs, ok?"

"He's only just left Abs. Now why have you been worried about Hetty and Bronte? What's Bronte got to do with any of this too?"

"You know nothing, hey Eric." Abby frowned. "I'm sorry Eric." Abby zipped her lips together. "My lips are sealed. You will have to ask Owen."

"Oh no. I'm not going to ask him anything."

"He scares you that much?"

"Oh yeah." Eric could still remember Granger's comments on the first night they met, when they all thought Hetty had been held captive at the boat shed. Granger had publicly mocked him about his pyjama pants.

"Look, if you get a chance to ask Gibbs, he's the best person to ask. But do not ask Bronte. She's been through way too much in the past two years."

"Ok, thanks Abs." He disconnected the call with Abby, and sat with a worried look on his face. 'How could he concentrate if he worried about Hetty. And what was wrong with Hetty? Why weren't any of them told?" Then he thought that perhaps Callen knew exactly what was going on, so he's wait for Sam to get some answers.

_Love to know what your thoughts are on this story. Please review._


	3. Chapter 3

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

_Please note: Bronte calls Gibbs Jethro in this story. They are close friends. I have updated chapter 2 to follow this, as I had Callen and some others calling him Jethro too, but I've changed it back to Gibbs._

**Chapter 3**

Sam pulled his challenger up in a parking spot, near the entrance to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. He walked inside and scanned the area, to see if he could find Callen anywhere. No luck. He pressed the button on the lift, to try the next level. By level four, Sam was ready to give up and just wait for his partner to come back out to his car. Finally he had success! On level four, he found Callen, Gibbs and Bronte talking to a Doctor.

Gibbs was the first one to notice Sam's presence. He whispered into Callen's ear, before Callen walked over to him. "You can't be here." Callen told him. "Let's go back to your car. We can talk there."

The ride down the lift was silent between the partners, until they climbed inside Sam's challenger. "What the hell is going on G?" Sam was annoyed his partner had kept him out of the loop.

"I'm sorry Sam. I only found out myself this morning. And I had to ask Bronte, as Hetty had avoided the subject." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Hetty is sick, Sam."

Sam waited a moment to let Callen's words sink in. "What's wrong with her?

Callen turned to his partner. "Cancer." He stated, simply.

"Shit, G. This is big! Why have we been kept in the dark?" He was annoyed that they hadn't been told. "And why can't I be here?"

"Granger's idea to make it appear Hetty's on vacation." Callen wasn't happy about it either. "Bronte wished he had been honest up front, and told us all." He sighed. "The Doctor found a tumour in her liver. They had to remove half of her liver, to remove the tumour. But they think they have got it all, and are hopeful, she won't need chemo." Callen fiddled with the wrapper of the sour pop he'd found in the car. "No one from OSP can visit Hetty while Bronte's Father is here. He doesn't know either of them are Federal Agents."

"You're on first names with Agent Smith already?" Sam was puzzled over his partner's willingness to trust her so quickly. Sam noticed his partner's avoidance of eye contact. "What has Bronte and her Father have to do with Hetty? G!" Sam tried to get his partner to look at him. "What do you know about her G, that we don't know? Even you don't trust people this quickly."

"She's Hetty's daughter." Callen breathed out. Sam nearly choked as he heard his partner's words.

"What? Hetty has a daughter?" Callen nodded. "How long have you known?"

"I found out by accident, this morning. I drove over to Hetty's, as I told you. She had a Frenchman, visiting, and it was he who had answered the door. I could tell straight away, that something was not right with Hetty, but she didn't let on about it. I waited to see if she would tell me, but before I could, Bronte came walking down the stairs rambling on about her Mother keeping her drawings from when she was a kid. And she continued to called the Frenchman, Père."

"French for Father!" Sam added.

"Yes. Bronte introduced herself to me, and so I asked her about the fact she had called Hetty her Mom. Hetty sat there, amused over her daughter's embarrassment of being caught out by me being there. But she didn't say a word. She let Bronte explain."

"And you were obviously satisfied by her explanation, by the fact you have followed her around like a lost puppy ever since!" Sam chuckled.

"It's not that simple Sam. When she shook my hand, we both received an electric shock from the contact. I managed to hide noticing it, but she reacted and jumped further away from me."

Sam laughed. "Love at first sight, hey G? Good one. And Hetty's daughter too!"

Callen glared at him. "Laugh all you want Sam. But there's more. She had a picture she had drawn back when she was growing up, about her family. In the background was a map with her Father in Southern France making chocolate eclairs with a plane flying from Los Angeles to him. Then there was Hetty, Bronte and Lauren back her in LA."

"Lauren? You mean as in Hunter?" Another surprise for Sam. Callen nodded.

"Hetty adopted Hunter when she was five from an orphanage. Bronte and Hunter became close, and sisters." Callen shook his head. "Then she had drawn a picture of a sad looking boy, surrounded by lots of houses. I asked her who the boy was." Callen looked his partner in the eyes. "She told me the boy was me."

"Hetty told her about you?" Callen nodded.

"That's when Hetty spoke and said Bronte wanted me to live with them, but she told her, I couldn't." Silence crept in as Sam took in all Callen had told him. "So I asked Hetty why!"

"Did she tell you?"

"Yes." Sam watched Callen open and close his fists. He could tell it had been hard on him. "She had to keep me safe from the Comescus. And she had Bronte and Lauren to think about."

"Are you ok G?" Callen could hear the concern in Sam's voice.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I am now."

"So Hetty arranged for her daughter to fly out here to fill in for her, while the rest of us think she's having a relaxing vacation somewhere!"

"Yes. Which is why Gibbs is here. He's worried about Bronte, as she's been through a lot recently, and with Hetty being sick..."

"Bronte Smith!" Sam's mind turned as he thought. "Agent Greg Smith's wife?"

Callen nodded. "Philipe told me after Bronte left Hetty's. I didn't think of the connection, and put my foot in it asking if her husband had come to LA with her."

"I remember you telling me the story, because you were worried about me and my family." Callen nodded. "And you also worried for the boy, the one who was spared, because it brought back memories about you and your Mother."

"Yes." He whispered.

"I noticed something had happened to her husband, when we met. She told me I reminded her of him. I could see the pain in her eyes. He was a SEAL before joining NCIS too." Callen looked over surprised. He hadn't known that. "Wow! She has been through a lot. Do you think she's up to the task G?"

"I don't know. But she's a brilliant shot with her weapon."

"You like her, don't you?" Sam smiled over at his partner.

"I can't explain it Sam. When I see her smile, I want to see her smile even more. And she takes my breath away, when she laughs. But when I see her sad, I want to comfort her, and take her pain away. I don't understand it. I've never felt like this around anyone before. And we've only met today."

"Like I said before G. Love at first sight." He patted his partner on the arm. "About time too." Sam grinned from ear to ear.

"Huh! It's not that simple Sam. She's lost too much already, she's afraid to let anyone in again."

"Well you've got a whole month to change her mind." Sam chuckled. "Don't worry G. I will keep this information to myself for now. But if I think the others need to know, I will tell them about Hetty."

"Yeah. I agree. I better go and see her. I'll see you back at the office soon, ok?" Callen opened the door to climb back out.

"See you soon G." Sam watched his partner walk back inside the hospital, before driving off. He hoped Hetty's operation was the success, Callen had told him it was.

It was only half an hour later, after Sam had returned, when Callen, Gibbs and Bronte walked back into the mission. They seemed happier, so Sam took that to be a good sign. They had a lead, so Callen, Kensi, Deeks and him drove off to pick up and question their suspect in the boathouse. Their suspect turned out it be innocent, but had led them in the right direction, and before nightfall, they had taken their guilty suspect, into custody.

The team were packing up their things for the night, and said their goodbyes. Sam noticed Callen and Gibbs left with Bronte, and he smiled. He hoped something good happened for his partner. He had been worried over the lack of relationships his partner had of late. He wanted to see him happy and settled down. Like he was.

Dinner at Hetty's went well, but Callen found it odd being there, without her. Philipe had cooked the most amazing dinner. For starters, they ate Petits Farcis Niçois (Provençal Stuffed Vegetables). For the main, Philipe had cooked Escalopes de Saumon Gigondas (Salmon with Crayfish and Red Wine Sauce). Then out came the dessert on individual wooden boards. Butterscotch Panna Cotta (with salted chocolate soil, raspberry coulis and fairy floss). Callen had never seen or tasted anything like it, and was totally impressed with Philipe's cooking, presentation, and Bronte's tastes. He had heard her earlier requesting a dessert from across the border. Her Father had easily obliged to make her favourite. "This is superb. I've never tasted anything like it." Callen declared.

"Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Callen." Philip smiled at the younger man. He noticed some sort of connection had occurred that day between him and his daughter, and hoped Bronte was ready to give her heart to another man. It had saddened him deeply, the violence that had occurred to members of his family. It was new to him, and couldn't understand any of it. He so desperately wanted to see his daughter happy again.

Philipe had poured too much wine out into Callen's and Gibbs' glasses, to keep them with him and Bronte for the night. He had conspired this action, because he wanted to give his daughter and Callen more time together. He thought his plan had gone unnoticed, but to his surprise, Gibbs made a comment to him, on the quiet. "They'll notice you're playing matchmaker, Philipe, if you keep this up."

"Nothing that isn't already there, Jethro. I've seen how Bronte reacts to Mr Callen, every time he makes contact with her. There is no denying, they are both attracted to each other. No matter how much Bronte denies it, or fights it."

Gibbs nodded. "I suppose you are right. I've never seen Callen respond so quickly to anyone new in his life." 'And Callen could need some pushing himself.' He thought. He too had noted how distracted Bronte became, when Callen was around. Bronte on the other hand, needed a lot of pushing. She was still hurting from her grief, but he understood how you needed to move on, or you'd suffer even longer. He only knew too well himself, after losing Shannon and Kelly.

It was the end of the week, and Gibbs was almost ready to head to LAX, for his return flight to DC. He knew he needed to nudge Bronte in the right direction, before he left. But he needed to speak to Bronte on the quiet. He chose sign language to get his message across.

Bronte was shocked when she saw what Jethro was telling her. She studied his hands as they moved, to communicate his thoughts. "You're giving me relationship advice?" She signed back. "You're telling me after four marriages, that I should move on and have babies with...no, Jethro. I will not. I have lost too much. I can't do it again." Frustration spread across her face.

Nell Jones watched from the upper floor, mesmerised by the body language Bronte displayed when she signed back to Gibbs. She quickly pulled Eric out of the OPS Centre and asked him to translate. She was intrigued by what was going on. Eric stood beside Nell and watched the hand movements. Gibbs had a smirk on his face, but Bronte was not amused. "What are they talking about?" Nell whispered. Eric's eyebrows raised as he realised what the conversation was about: Bronte refusing to love again, and would in no manner start a relationship with anyone, especially Callen. And if he (Jethro) got any ideas of telling her Mother about this, she would kill him. That was when Eric realised Bronte was Hetty's daughter. But before Eric could pass on any of the information to Nell, Bronte looked up and caught him reading her hands.

"If you mention any of this to anyone, Eric, I will personally kill you with my bare hands." She signed up to him. 'Busted.'

Eric gulped! "Sorry." He signed back to her.

Eric quickly returned to his computer, with Nell hot on his heels. "What were they talking about Eric?"

"I got busted Nell. She saw me read her hands and told me not to tell anyone, or she will kill me." Fear could be seen in Eric's eyes.

"Oh!" 'Damn.' Thought Nell. 'Must make a mental note to learn sign language.'

From the bull pen, Sam, Deeks, Kensi and Callen watched the silent argument between Bronte and Gibbs.

"Damn!" Kensi whispered. "I don't know sign, and she's not mouthing her words, so I can't read her lips.

"That's exactly why they are signing." Callen advised her. Callen, on the other hand, knew a little of sign language, and had been amused at Bronte's heated argument with Gibbs about him. He was thankful he had never told his colleagues about the deaf girl in his Foster Home, when he was sixteen. He had felt bad not being able to communicate with her, so she had taught him a little. He was surprised Bronte and Gibbs both were fluent in signing. He was having trouble keeping up with them.

"You need to balance back the good in your life, Bronte." Gibbs continued. "Yes you have lost too much. Tell me someone who hasn't." He challenged her. He knew he was been a little hard on her, but she was becoming stubborn on the subject."

Bronte froze, when she read his hands. She suddenly felt terrible. 'Of course Jethro had been through the same as she had. Lost a spouse and child at the hand of a drug cartel member.' "I'm sorry Jethro. I didn't mean that you hadn't."

Gibbs pulled her in for a hug. "I want you to be happy again, Bronte. For you, please give Callen a chance." He whispered into her ear.

"I'm going to miss you Jethro." She hugged him back. As she stood back, she noticed Callen watching them. "I'm not ready. But thank you for your concern." She told Gibbs. "Have a safe flight, and please give Abby a hug from me."

"I will. Thanks." As Gibbs turned, Callen had moved closer towards them. "Good seeing you again Callen. Be good to my Bronte."

Callen looked over at Bronte then back to his good friend, and smiled. "I will. It was good seeing you too, Gibbs." They shook hands and moved closer for a half hug. The closest the two old friends ever came to a hug.

The rest of the team came over to farewell the seasoned agent. They had enjoyed getting to know him more, in between their cases. Their first week with Bronte at the helm had gone smoothly, and everyone was happy with her being there.

After Gibbs left, Bronte dismissed the team for the weekend. They had closed all their cases, and she wanted to see her Mother. It had been a long week.

Bronte smiled at her parents as she walked into her Mother's room. "Hi." She looked around at the private hospital room her Mother was staying in, and noticed a new bunch of flowers. "Some more flowers? You are a very popular woman."

"From my admirers." Hetty jested. "How was your day dear?" She understood while Philipe was around, their conversation would be pretty much irrelevant to what really had happened.

"Oh, ok. Not sure if this transfer to Los Angeles is a good one though." She lied a little, as her first week filling in for her Mother had gone far better than she had expected. "I'm missing Max." That was true, as she always looked forward coming home to her son, at the end of the working day. She was glad she had her in laws to help out with Max, when she was caught up with work.

"I know you do dear. But have they been kind to to you at your new job?" It was her way of asking had her team behaved themselves.

"Oh, yes, Mom. Don't get me wrong. They've all been really nice and helpful." Bronte bit her bottom lip.

"But?" Hetty hedge her along.

"I just miss Max." She stayed far away from the subject of Callen.

"And Mr Callen? How have the two of you been getting along?" Hetty asked her.

'Damn, she's still asking about him.' Bronte thought to herself. "Yes fine, Mom. What is it with everyone trying to get us together? First Père gave Callen and Jethro too much wine, so they had to stay the night, on Monday night. Then earlier, Jethro had to tell me his thoughts on the subject. And now you?"

Philipe looked guilty, as he realised his daughter had noticed his ploy. "It's only because we love you Bronte, and want what's best for you. It breaks our hearts to see you so sad." Philipe interjected.

Bronte sighed and sat down in the chair. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she thought on her Father's words.

"Bronte." Hetty tried again. She looked up at her Mother, sitting in the bed. "I'm sorry, if we have pushed too much. We will try to not intervene again." Hetty hoped she could keep her word to her daughter. She hadn't thought of match making her daughter when she asked her to fill in for her. But after seeing the two of them together on Monday, she realised they would be good for each other.

"Thanks Mom." She turned as she heard a knock at the door.

"Hi. Sorry if I'm interrupting." Callen had heard Bronte's outburst in the corridor. He hoped he had given enough time before he knocked, to give the illusion he had just arrived.

"Mr Callen, it's so nice of you to pop in and see me again." Hetty welcomed her favourite agent warmly.

"You're looking better, Hetty." He smiled, as he realised she did look a lot better than she had on Monday.

"Yes I am, Mr Callen. I am hoping they will let me home sooner than they said. This place is driving me mad." Hetty smiled at him. He knew she was trying to tell him, she understood how he felt every time he ended up in hospital after being injured or shot on the job.

After visiting for an hour, Callen walked Bronte out of the hospital. "Would you like to grab something to eat?" He asked her. "As friends." He added, hoping she would accept.

"Thanks Callen. But I've arranged to chat with my son on Skype soon. I've got to get home to make the call."

"Tomorrow then?" He asked her, hoping she would agree.

Bronte chewed on her bottom lip, as she thought. She fought the feeling inside of her. "Ok." She agreed eventually. "As friends."

Callen smiled. "I'll pick you up at seven." He advised her.

"Seven. Ok. See you." Butterflies fluttered inside of her. She tried to push her feelings away, about how she felt about the blue eyed agent. She really couldn't let anything happen between them. She just couldn't. She was afraid. That she knew. Afraid to love again. Because she couldn't risk to lose another person she loved.

_Love to know what your thoughts are on this story. Please review._


	4. Chapter 4

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 4**

'She was gutless.' Bronte concluded. She had cancelled her dinner out with Callen three hours before he was to pick her up. She had used her Father as her excuse. She tossed and turned that night, over the guilt of cancelling on him. She knew he was attracted to her. But she couldn't go there. She had decided that even as friends, something would happen. That he would kiss her, and if he did, she wouldn't be able to fight her feelings for him. She needed to clear her mind of him, and focus on her job. 'Only three and a half more weeks to go, and her Mother would be back at work.' She would be kicked back to New York, as Callen had called it. So why bother starting something, that couldn't be continued?

Callen entered the mission, late on the Saturday night. He couldn't sleep, and had to distract his mind from thinking of Bronte. He had a load of paperwork to do, so he brewed a cup of coffee, and sat down behind his desk. But the distraction of his paperwork failed, after half an hour. He was frustrated. She had cancelled on him, and it had bothered him, more than he had wanted it too. 'How had she managed to get behind the walls he had built up around his heart so easily, and so quickly?' He shook his head.

He stood and walked to the firing range. After he had placed his ear protectors and glasses on, Callen emptied his load on the paper target in front of him. He reloaded and clipped another paper target up for round two. It still didn't work. After he had packed everything away, he walked into the armory and cleaned his gun. The last time he had been in that room, was with Bronte. He had nearly kissed her in the firing range. But she had quickly pulled away. 'Damn!' If he hadn't been so rash with her then, perhaps she might not have cancelled on him. He needed to get away from anything that reminded him of her.

The sandbag had always been a good release of his frustrations. He entered the locker room to change into his t-shirt and shorts. After he had completed taping his hands, he placed the gloves on his hands and strapped them firmly. He stood in position and began to pound the bag.

Bronte pulled up outside the mission and noticed Callen's car in the car park. She thought it was odd that someone else would be there that late on a Saturday night, so she thought he had another vehicle for the weekend. After she had unlocked the front door, she walked over to her Mother's desk. She sat down and opened the laptop, to begin working on the cases they had completed that week. She heard a noise coming from the gym, so she quickly grabbed her gun and quietly moved into the direction of the noise. As she got closer, she could hear it was a pounding noise. Prepared for anything, she moved slowly towards the entrance of the gym, scanning the area around her.

Bronte relaxed briefly and placed the safety switch back on, when she saw Callen pounding on the sandbag. But nerves of a different kind replaced her tension. He had a good rythym, she noted. It reminded her of the times she had watched Greg do the same thing, when a case had effected him.

She was lost in thought, when she realised Callen was standing right in front of her, with sweat dripping off his body. She jumped with surprise.

"Why are you here?" He asked her gruffly. He had tried to get her out of his mind, and it had nearly worked, until he saw her standing there, lost in thought.

"I'm...sorry Callen." She needed to get a grip, whenever she was around him. "I couldn't sleep, so I came in to catch up on some work."

Callen remained standing where he was. He wasn't going to make it easy on her.

Bronte could feel the tension radiating off him. "I'm sorry. For cancelling on you tonight." She shook her head. "I really can't do this..." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she remained where she was.

It broke Callen's heart to see her so upset. He calmed down and stepped away. "No, Bronte. I'm the one who should be sorry. I've pushed you, after you told me not to." He turned to go to the showers.

"Callen!" She pleaded. She was torn. He turned around and smiled at her. "I need to have a shower. Don't leave before I come back out ok?" She nodded.

"I'll be at Hetty's desk." She told him. Callen nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, Callen walked out of the gym, refreshed and smelt really good. 'Musk and the ocean.' She noted. Must be the combination of his deodorant and the body wash. It suited him, she thought. It went well with his vivid blue eyes. She could drown in them, if she wasn't careful. "Hi." She greeted him.

"Hi." Callen sat opposite Bronte at Hetty's desk. "You are the only one this desk has suited, beside your Mother."

"It feels like she is here. I feel comforted being here." She admitted.

"I know what you mean. That's probably why, you are the only other person who looks right sitting here." He smiled at her.

Man she was in trouble. How was she going to focus on work, with him around. She became quiet and he noticed it.

"Are you ok?" He asked her.

"Can I ask you something?" She was curious to know, but felt silly asking him, just the same.

"Yeah, sure." He was curious what her question would be.

"When, um...we shook hands on Monday...did you...um..." Oh she was not doing very well on this question. She gulped. "Did you feel a shock?" She finally blurted out. She hugged herself, to keep her nerves in check. She felt cold all of a sudden.

Callen raised his eyebrows in surprise, that she'd had the courage to ask him. He knew she had put herself out there on a limb, by asking him. "Yes." He knew she deserved his honest reaction.

Bronte sighed with relief. "That's good. I thought I was going crazy." She breathed out. She relaxed again, now that she had her answer from him. She no longer felt like a fool.

"I'm just better at hiding it." He gave her his trademark smirk.

"Oh you're a cheeky bastard!" She laughed. She could see the funny side of it too.

"Oh, thanks, Bronte." He loved how she radiated she she laughed. "You should laugh more often." He declared. "You're so beautiful when you do."

Bronte reddened from embarrassment. Then she frowned. "I used to laugh a lot. Greg always had his way of making me laugh. He would have liked you."

"How's your son coping with all that's happened?" It had him wondering, ever since he found out who she was.

"Max has been amazing. I would never have gotten though the past twelve months without him. He takes after his Father. He's always been able to find the good in everything. He brightens my world every day. But even he's found it hard. Me coming over here for a month has been hard on him as well. He's had nightmares about the shooting, so we took him to see a child psychologist, to help him deal with what he saw. It's helped him tremendously. But he's still hesitant to return to the park where it happened. Greg's parents have been wonderful with him, and a great help while I work." Talking about her eight year old son, made her miss him terribly. "Abby and Jethro have also been great helping him heal too. But I can tell he misses Greg and Carrie as much as I do."

"You're really close to them, aren't you?" He was asking her about Gibbs and Abby.

"Yes. Jethro has always been a close friend, since he joined NCIS. I met him through Mom. After losing Shannon and Kelly, it had hurt him pretty deeply. I'm only now starting to understand what he's been through. He became a close member of our family, and was best man for Greg at our wedding. He became a substitute grandfather to Carrie and Max, when they were born." Bronte had to stop. Her pain was still very raw.

To her surprise, Callen had walked around the desk to help her stand. He held her hand and pulled her gently towards him. Her body trembled at the contact, but soon found that he comforted her. Feeling his warm body close to hers, with his arms wrapped around her, soothed her. It surprised her, because she hadn't expect to find such comfort from him. Normally she would be full of butterflies and tense, incase their bodies touched and she received another shock from him.

"Thank you Callen." She whispered, before she buried her head into his chest.

Callen loved feeling her snuggle into his arms. She had wrapped her arms around his body. He could feel her pulse calm down, and realised he had provided the comfort she needed. They fitted so well together, he noted. Gently he stroked her hair that fell down her back, and brushed his lips on her temple.

Bronte trembled from his kiss. She was amazed he could have such an effect on her body. She closed her eyes and could have stayed there forever, but tiredness struck her and she needed to sleep.

"Let me drive you home." He whispered to her. He could tell she wasn't fit to drive. She nodded, and let him lead her out, after they had shut down their laptops and turned off the lights.

Callen locked the door behind them and opened the passenger door for her. After she had climbed in, he walked around to the driver side and joined her. He noticed goose bumps on her skin, so he turned the heater on. "Thanks." She rubbed her arms to warm herself up. Separating from Callen had cooled her body down again.

"Can we try again?" He asked her.

"For what?" She was tired, and was drifting off to sleep.

"For dinner." Bronte lifted her head.

"What now?" She asked him, confused.

"No." He chuckled. "Tomorrow night!"

"Oh." She noticed him frown. She placed her hand on his strong arm, as he concentrated on the road. "How about breakfast?"

Callen turned around surprised by her answer. He had stopped at the lights. "Sounds even better." He gave her a smile that made his eyes sparkle in the night light.

"Good. Because I'm not ready for you to leave right now." She admitted to him. Now he had held her, she needed his comfort. A need she never thought she would need again. She thought after she had lost Greg and Carrie, she would never need the kind of comfort, that only Greg could have given her. It surprised her, that she could find it so easily again, with Callen.  
Bronte used her key to unlock the door to her Mother's house. She felt like a teenager again, trying to sneak a boyfriend into the house without being caught. Not that she had ever did that as a teenager. But that was how she felt at that moment. She led Callen up the stairs quietly, so they wouldn't wake her Father. It felt strange entering her childhood bedroom with him. She appreciated the fact her Mother had upgraded her old bed to a queen size one, when she turned fifteen. It would have been awkward, had she still had a single bed in her old bedroom. They would have had to have slept in a guest room otherwise.

It was two in the morning on her alarm clock. 'No wonder she felt tired.' She realised. Together they climbed into the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms.

**NCIS**

The sun was shining brightly on the following day, and they enjoyed a sleep in till nine in the morning, after their late night, the night before. It took her a minute to realise who she was in bed with. She had to think back to the night before, to remember why he was there.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Callen teased her.

She laughed. "What does that make you?" She replied.

"Your Prince Charming." He captured her lips with his, ever so slightly.

She trembled from the softest of kisses. She moaned in response and responded to him.

Callen deepend the kiss and moved his hands under her top. They had been so tired, they had fallen asleep in their clothes. Her skin felt so soft. He found himself wanting. He unclasped her bra and moved his hand over her left breast. Bronte arched her back as she responded to his touch.

A knock a her bedroom door, stopped them in their tracks. "Are you awake Bronte?"

"Oui Père. But I'm not decent." She quickly added. She would have been embarrassed to have had her Father walk in on them, like they were at that moment.

"Ok. I'll start on breakfast." He replied.

"No need, Père. Callen's taking me out for breakfast." She would feel bad if he had cooked her breakfast, if she hadn't told him.

"Callen is coming to pick you up?" He asked her. He was surprised, seeing she had cancelled on him, the night before.

"Um, he um...stayed the night." Callen nibbled on her neck as she spoke to her Father, through the door. His stubble tickled her, making her giggle.

"Oh, I am sorry, Bronte. I had no idea." Philipe smiled on the other side of the door. "I will leave the two of you alone. If you need me, I'll be visiting your Mere." He couldn't wait to tell Hetty the news.

"Merci Père." Bronte sat up. "He knows." She whispered to Callen. "He's going to tell Hetty."

Callen pulled her back down to continue nibbling on her neck. "And?"

"This is embarrassing." She tried to talk, but he made it almost impossible for her.

"You're embarrassed to be with me?" Callen stopped what he was doing.

"Of course not. It's just...they're my parents...and I can't have them thinking we...not that we have done anything...but." She looked down at Callen and saw him smirk. "What?"

"You are so endearing when you get all worked up like this."

"Endearing?" She questioned him.

"Yes." He sat up beside her. He was finding it hard to stop what they had begun. But knew she was too strung up now for anything to happen. "Let's go out for breakfast, and see where our day takes us." He suggested.

"I'd like that very much. Thanks Callen."

Bronte showered and changed into some fresh clothes. She noticed Callen had also changed. She raised her eyebrow at his clothes. "I have a bag in my car with spare clothes in, just in case."

"Good idea." She leant in towards him for a kiss. His lips were soft and warm. The softness of his lips were such a contrast to his rough stubble. She rubbed her handover his jaw and moved her hips closer to his. 'How could she forget how good this felt?' She was addicted now, and found she could no longer refuse him.

"I think we better go out, before we eat each other for breakfast." Callen smiled at her. Bronte's eyes had deepened in colour, and he found it hard to lead her out of the house.

Callen pulled in behind the Figtree Cafe on the boardwalk, at Venice Beach. He drew her in close to him and he wrapped his arm around her, as they walked to place their order and take a seat. It was a lazy Sunday morning, with loads of people making the most of the day off work to enjoy the beach. They sat at the front of the cafe, people watching. Their coffees arrived pretty quickly, which they appreciated. As they sipped and chatted, they became more engrossed in each other, than with the people around them. Their food arrived and they tucked into their cooked breakfast. Bronte opted for pancakes with berries, while Callen chose bacon, eggs, tomato and mushrooms with toasted ciabatta.

The atmosphere was relaxed and they enjoyed their time together away from everyone else. It had only been six days since they had met, but felt they had known each other much longer. Well Bronte had the advantage of knowing about Callen through her Mom, all those years ago. However it was strange it had taken them this long to meet. So much of Bronte's childhood had intertwined with his. The she remembered something.

"Callen. We have met before." She suddenly realised. 'How had she forgotten?'

"We have?" He was sure he would have remembered meeting Bronte before Monday.

"Yes. I can't believe I had forgotten." She smiled and started to sign his name to him.

Callen frowned. He was puzzled. "You know I know sign language?" He was surprised. Not even Gibbs knew, he knew it a little.

He watched her hands as she continued. He smiled, as she radiated. She had obviously remembered meeting him, and it had made her happy. Then he realised when they had met. "That was you and Lauren?" He signed back. How could he have forgotten. 'Of course. She had touched his arm and he had felt sparks from her, even back then.'

Bronte nodded. "I was thirteen. We had recently returned from visiting my Father in Tofino, and Hetty had left us with a nanny, because she had to work. It was a hot day, so we came to the beach and saw you. You were with a girl who was deaf, and she was teaching you your name, in sign. I was so fascinated with you trying to learn it. Lauren had declared you were hers, and that she was in love with you." She laughed at the memory.

"I remember. I thought my guardian angel had arrived to rescue me from hell." He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I was sixteen and in love with you." He leaned over the table and kissed her.

"You were?" She blushed. "We knew it was you because you were the only person we knew who only had the letter G for a first name. But we couldn't say anything, because you didn't know about Hetty. But it made our day meeting you. It gave us a face to your name. It made you real. That's how I was able to draw you correctly in my drawing." She laughed at the memory. "Mom was shocked when she saw my drawing. But being who she is, she tried to hide her shock and said nothing."

"That's why I was so surprised when I saw your drawing on Monday. You are very talented." His heart swelled, he was so happy. He had found his guardian angel again. He laughed.

"What's so funny?" She tilted her head, watching him laugh. She was hooked. She realised she had been in love with G Callen since she was thirteen.

"I call your Mom my guardian angel. You are definitely her daughter." He kissed her again.

Bronte laughed. 'Oh she hadn't laughed this much in a long time. Jethro would be disappointed he missed this.' She thought.

Over on the other side of the cafe, sat Nell Jones and Eric Beale, intrigued by the public display of affection and laughter of their team leader and fill in Operations Manger. "I never knew Callen knew sign language?" Nell stated.

"No. Neither did I!" Eric agreed. "He had kept that one a secret." He watched the hand movements, but tried not to read them. He had already been caught out once before by Bronte. "And I have never seen Callen this happy before." Eric added.

"I know what you mean. It's like he's a different person. They both are." Nell wished she could understand their conversation. She was a curious person, so it was in her nature to be nosy. "I bet Sam has no idea about them." Nell smiled over at Eric, pleased with herself for catching them out together like this. "Just wait till I tell Kensi."

"No, I don't either." Eric turned to Nell. "We'll have to stop looking at them though. You know how good Callen is with picking up on people watching and following him. And you mustn't tell anyone."

"True. But he's distracted and his guard is down." Nell smiled over at Eric. "You have to agree, this is great people watching, hey!"

Eric nodded, but fear of being caught out, especially considering he could so easily read their hands if he wanted to.

"I've never seen Callen so relaxed and affectionate either. Do you think they have known each other longer than a week?" Nell's minds spun around fast, thinking about the two of them.

"It's possible. The fact that he's shown her loyalty and trust straight away...and we all know how Callen was when Hunter filled in for Hetty...Callen never trusts strangers that quickly." Eric pondered over Nell's thoughts as they watched Callen and Bronte enjoy each other's company.

**NCIS**

Callen grabbed Bronte's hand and led her onto the beach, after they had finished their breakfast. Unaware they had an audience of two, they continued to be carefree with each other. Like any new couple in love. It was what Callen never thought he could ever have. Whenever he went out on a date, he had to pretend to be someone else. But with Bronte, he could be himself. There was no need to explain his past to her, as she already knew about it. For the first time, Callen felt he could be himself around a woman he was attracted to. He rolled up his jeans and picked her up of the sand and waded into the water.

Bronte laughed as Callen carried her into the water. "You are crazy G."

Callen stopped when he heard her call him G. He dropped her legs and she fell half into the water. Her jeans were wet, but Bronte didn't care. She looked up at him, into his vivid blue eyes. "You called me G!" He stated. He pulled her in closer to him, holding her butt with his right hand.

Bronte raised her brow in question. "Does that bother you?"

Callen shook his head. "No. I like you calling me G. It sounds so good coming from you." He declared. He tilted his head down and leaned in closer to her. Their warm breaths quickened, as they both became aroused. "You take my breath away Bronte." He captured her lips with his for a deep and passionate kiss."

Eric felt uncomfortable watching such an intimate moment between their team leader and Operations Manager. Even if she was only a temp. "Come on Nell. Let's go, before we're caught."

"Wow Eric! This is amazing." Nell was in her element. "I know Callen has the capabilities, we've seen him in action, when undercover. But this is real. The real G Callen, pashing a girl, he likes."

"Nell!" Eric really wanted to enjoy his day out with Nell, than spend it watching Callen and Bronte enjoy theirs. She looked up at him. "Let's go and enjoy our day out!" He suggested to her.

"Ok." Nell could see Eric worried about being caught and realised this would be boring for him anyway.

Eric led Nell away, just before Callen and Bronte both fell into the water and got soaked. They could hear Bronte's squeal and Nell couldn't help herself but turn to look back at them. "This is going to be great."

"What is?" Eric asked, confused.

"We have something on them, that they don't know we know." Nell told him, a little too enthusiastically.

Eric shook his head. "You are going to get us into trouble, Nell. And get caught out ourselves. We still haven't told anyone in the team about us."

Nell thought for a minute. "Yeah, you're right. But I could hint I know something, when the time was right. Think about it Eric." She went on. "How many times have you seen Sam and Callen pull a joke over Deeks? We've got leverage over Callen now." Nell smiled back up to Eric.

"And Agent Smith. Our temporary boss. I don't like it Nell." He tried to convince her it was a bad idea.

"Leave it to me. When the right moment arrives, I can use this new found knowledge to our advantage." Nell was still beaming from her bright ideas.

"You're insatiable, Miss Jones." Eric responded.

_Love to know what your thoughts are on this story. Please review._


	5. Chapter 5

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 5**

Callen walked into the mission on Monday morning beaming. He and Bronte were the first to arrive, which they were thankful for, as they wanted to keep their relationship quiet. Bronte settled in behind her Mother's desk, to start on her work. She had a pile of emails to get through before another case started. She looked over at Callen and caught him watching and he still wore a big smile in his face. She smiled in return, before focusing on her work.

Callen had settled into his pile of paperwork, before Eric and Nell walked into the building. They strode pass Callen without a hello, afraid they would slip up over seeing them at the beach the day before. He was focused on his work, which relieved them of the need to speak.

Bronte was also focused, and it was after nine, before Sam walked in. They had been working for two hours, in peace. "Morning G." Sam dropped his bag on the floor, beside his desk.

Callen looked up and smiled at his partner. "Hi Sam." He smiled a little too enthusiastically, which caught Sam's attention straight away.

"So how was your weekend G?" Sam had walked over to his desk, searching for any hints.

"Oh, just the unusual run, grocery shop and chores around the house. You?" Callen tried hard to give his blank look of indifference, but Sam knew him too well.

"You don't cook G. So you don't do a grocery shop." Sam had caught him out.

"Damn you're good Sam." He found it hard to hide his smile. "It was great." Callen looked over towards Bronte. Sam got the hint.

"Deeks and Kensi will know straight away something is up with you, if you keep that grin on your face G." He warned him.

"I can't help it. She makes me so damn happy." Callen grinned from ear to ear. He really was happy.

"I'm happy for you G." Sam slapped him in the shoulder. "Do you feel like sparring with me in the gym? It may help wipe that smirk off your face." He also needed a workout, after his lazy weekend with his gorgeous wife Michelle and his kids.

"Great idea Sam." Callen stood to join him in the gym.

Once the senior partners were changed, they met on the mat, and began their workout, wrestling. They were talking throughout their wrestling, updating the other on their weekend. It was how they bonded. Being physical while told each other about their life outside work.

Deeks and Kensi waltzed in and watched them, amused. "How's the bromance goings boys?" Deeks inquired.

"Keep your partner on a leash, Kensi." Sam responded swiftly.

"Ha!" Kensi laughed in return. "Now you're asking too much from me."

"Hey!" Deeks tried to give his sad puppy dog look back to Kensi, for some sympathy. Kensi just laughed even more.

Callen took the advantage of Sam being distracted, by flipping him over, flat on his back. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, Callen." Deeks added, as he watched him flip Sam over.

They were interrupted by Nell's appearance in the doorway. "We have a case guys."

Callen and Sam arrived up in OPS, freshly showered, after their wrestling match. Nell and Eric began the briefing on the situation. When Bronte walked in, the room became silent. It was the first time Eric and Nell had seen Bronte and Callen close together, since breakfast the day before. "You can continue, Nell." She encouraged her.

Nell refocused quickly, and continued. "Lieutenant Commander Glenn Hobson was gunned down outside his house late yesterday, by a passing black SUV. His seven year old son is the only witness."

Memories of Greg and Carrie's shooting flooded back to the forefront of Bronte's mind. Callen looked over at her, and watched her take deep breaths as her hand shook on the table. He knew this case was going to be too close for her, and wished he could comfort her. Bronte kept her eyes on the screen and held her peace.

Nell and Eric noticed Callen starring at Bronte, and watched her reaction. Sam looked over from the other side of the room with concern.

"Poor kid." Deeks spoke, unaware of the situation in the room. "Whose going to talk to him, to get the information from him?"

"It will have to be Bronte and Eric." Nell replied, now unsure what to say, when Callen turned and glared at her.

"I'll make that decision, thanks Nell." He was harsh with her, and it took Nell by surprise. He had never spoken to her like that before.

"It's just that..." She started to stumble.

"What is it Nell?" Sam asked her. Sam noticed the change in Callen's voice with Nell, and although he understood his reaction, he felt there was a reason for Nell to have said what she had.

"The son, Daniel, and his Mother, Molly. They're both deaf." Nell stated. Nell looked down at her feet, afraid to look at Callen.

"Nell's right. I do have to go." Bronte admitted, when she heard the boy and his Mother were both deaf. She could see Callen wasn't happy about it. "G!" She signed. "You know I am the best person to talk with the boy. It's not just because I can sign either."

Callen watched her hands carefully. He was rusty, but Bronte had spent time with him yesterday, to help him remember. "I know Bronte." He signed back. "I'm just worried about you."

"Since when can Callen sign?" Deeks spoke out loud.

They were all surprised that Callen could not only understand Bronte's signing, but he could sign back to her as well.

Callen and Bronte stopped and looked over at them all when they heard Deeks speak. 'Busted.' He had hid that skill for more than half of his life.

"I'm sorry." Callen apologised to them all. "We are being rude." He turned back to Bronte. "If you are sure you will be ok, then I will go with you."

"You're full of surprises G." Sam added. He thought he knew all the languages his partner could speak. "If the two of you are going to the boathouse to speak with the boy, what would you like the rest of us to do?" Sam tried to take the speculation off them, from the rest of the team.

Callen looked at the information they had. "Did LAPD process the scene, or NCIS?" He asked Eric and Nell.

"LAPD." Eric answered him.

"Ok, thanks Eric." Callen turned to the Detective. "Deeks! Can you liaise with your people to have all crime scene photos and forensics sent to Eric and Nell please. We also need access to the house." Callen looked towards his partner and Kensi. "Sam and Kensi! Can you please speak to the Lieutenant Commander's CO, to find out what he was working on, to assess if it may have been compromised, or threatened."

"Yeah sure G." Sam answered him.

"If we all keep connected, we can assign a time to meet at the crime scene." He looked at his team. He knew he had mixed up their team and fully understood how it effected them, when this happened. "I'm sorry for mixing us all up. But we need to find who did this, in case they decide to come back to go after the boy. The sooner, the better."

They all nodded, and understood where their team leader was coming from.

Bronte was quiet on the short drive over to the boathouse. She needed to gather her strength for this boy.

"Are you ok, Bron?" Callen asked her. He could see her pain in her eyes, when she looked at him. He wanted to pull over and comfort her. But for this boy's sake and his Mother's, they both had to put their feelings aside and focus on the case.

"Not really." She admitted to him. "But this boy, I understand what he's been through..." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry G. I realise this case has brought up pain for you as well." She gently placed her hand on his arm.

Callen was taken back by her sudden change from her own pain, to being concerned over him. "That was a very long time ago Bron." He tried to put down his own personal pain.

"But you have suffered all of your life, ever since you lost your Mom, and Amy." Bronte tried to make him see, he had just as much reason as she did, to be effected by this case.

"Thanks Bron." He really did appreciate her kind heart.

**NCIS**

Sam drove him and Kensi over to the Lieutenant Commander's CO's office. Sam could tell something was on Kensi's mind. "What's up Kensi?" He turned briefly to her.

"I feel we're being left in the dark about a few things in OSP recently." She began. She was unsure how to bring questions up, knowing Callen and Sam were very close.

"Like what?" He asked her. He was well aware of what those things were.

"Well, for starters, did you know Callen could sign?" Kensi looked over to Sam as she asked him.

"No. I was as surprised as you." He admitted.

"Oh! Um. How come Callen has trusted Bronte so quickly?" Another fact that had her puzzled. "We all know he has trust issues. And how he was when Hunter.."

"She's Hetty's daughter." Sam blurted out. He hadn't meant for that fact to come out, but he was struggling keeping that information to himself.

"She's what?" Kensi was in shock.

"Bronte is Hetty's daughter. I know, I was just as shocked, when G told me last week." Sam had pulled up at some lights. He turned to her. "She grew up knowing all about Callen. Hetty had adopted Hunter, and they became close sisters. They both knew how much Hetty had tried to find him a family. Which is why Hunter went in as Ilena Vadim, to protect Callen. She risked her life for him. And he never knew it."

"Wow! This is big." Kensi replied in awe.

"That's not half of it." Sam added, as he pulled away from the lights.

"Why don't you elaborate Sam, so I can be up to speed on everything." Kensi told him.

"Callen trusts her, because she's proven herself to him, which I won't elaborate on. However, Gibbs is also close to Bronte and G, providing proof to G, that she can be trusted. He also knows what she had been through a year ago, and is trying to look out for her, because it's a reminder to him of what he went through." Sam advised her. "This case is too close for both of them. If it wasn't for the fact the boy and his Mother are both deaf, Bronte definitely wouldn't be working this case. Taking G off this one would have been impossible, without Hetty around."

"I don't understand." Kensi was puzzled.

"A year ago, Bronte's husband Greg infiltrated a Columbian Drug Cartel in New York. They thought they had arrested or killed all of the members." Sam began, as he pulled up outside the CO's office. He turned to face Kensi. "One member managed to escape. He saw Greg out at a park with their two kids. Carrie and Max. He gunned down and killed Greg and Carrie, but spared Max."

"Oh my goodness!" Kensi couldn't believe what Sam was telling her. "So that means Hetty's grandaughter..."

"Yeah! Gibbs had told G about his friend's death, and he had taken it to heart. It brought all of his memories of when his Mom was killed on the beach, and he was spared. Also, G worried about me and my family. He became a little too overprotective, and for a while I saw him watching over us." Sam admitted.

"Wow, I never knew Callen did that." Kensi responded.

"He has a big heart, that G Callen of ours." Sam hoped his partner was ok working on this case.

Kensi nodded. "So that's why Callen didn't want Bronte to work on the case. So why is Bronte here then?"

"Hetty arranged for Bronte to fill in for her, to get her behind a desk, to keep her safe." Sam revealed to her.

"Is that why Hetty's on vacation?" Sam shook his head.

"I wish that was the answer Kensi." Sam suddenly became quiet. "Hetty's in hospital, recovering from major surgery." He could see Kensi's eyes were nearly popping out of her head from the news.

"Why weren't we told?" She wasn't happy they had been kept in the dark.

"Last Monday when G went to visit Hetty, she was at home with a Frenchman. He happens to be Bronte's Father. Bronte was also there, which is how G found out who she was. But even he wasn't told. He had to ask Bronte. I found out later, when I asked Eric to put a trace on his cell, and followed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. But G took me back to the car to tell me everything. I wasn't allowed to see Hetty. Bronte's Father has no idea either of them are Federal Agents. So while he is in LA, we weren't to be told. He flies home late tomorrow. Bronte, G and I wished Granger had told us all the truth from the beginning. But Bronte suggested we waited till her Father left LA." Sam took a deep breath. It was a lot to get through.

"What's wrong with Hetty?" Concern crossed Kensi's face.

"They found a tumour in her liver, so they had to remove half of it, to remove the tumour." Sam revealed. "She's recovering well, though Kensi, so the Doctor thinks she won't need chemo."

"And here we are thinking Hetty's having a relaxing time." Kensi opened the car door and joined Sam as they walked into the building. She tried to get her head around all what Sam had told her.

**NCIS**

As Bronte and Callen walked into the boathouse, they saw the boy and his Mother cuddled up together under a blanket. 'Still in shock.' Callen noted.

"Hello Mrs Hobson. Hello Daniel." Bronte signed. "My name is Bronte and this is my friend Callen. We are very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Molly Hobson signed back.

"We need to speak with Daniel regarding what happened yesterday." Bronte continued, signing.

"Are you the Federal Agents working my husband's death?" She was surprised they could sign.

"Yes we are." Bronte could see the familiar pain in the woman's eyes. "I have a son, he's eight now. But last year, he saw his Father and sister..."

Molly Hobson realised what Bronte was trying to tell her. She placed her hand on Bronte's arm. When Bronte looked her in the eyes, she saw compassion. "Anything that Daniel can remember, to help find who did this, please!" She gave Bronte her permission to speak with her son.

Bronte nodded. She sat down on the coffee table in front of Daniel and began signing to him. "Can I tell you a story Daniel?" She asked him.

The boy nodded.

"A long time a go, there was a boy who lived with his Mom and sister in another land. He was playing at the beach, building sand castles. He was only five years old, and was very happy. But some men walked onto the beach which scared him. One of these men gave him a toy soldier. As he looked at the toy solider, he heard a muffled bang sound. When he looked over at his Mother, he saw the men had walk away, but his Mother no longer laughed. In fact, he couldn't get her to wake up."

"Why?" The boy asked her.

"You see, the men were bad people, and they killed this boy's Mom right in front of him. And this had made him very sad."

"What happened to the boy?" Daniel asked.

Bronte looked over at Callen. "He's standing over there with your Mom. He's all grown up, and fights bad people every day, to keep everyone safe. So if anyone understands how you are feeling, it's him."

"Really?" The boy asked her, surprised. Bronte nodded.

"I don't want you to be afraid Daniel, but sometimes we see things we should never see. Bad things, and they scare us. A year ago, the same thing happened to my son, Max. He was out at a park, with his Dad and big sister Carrie." Tears glistened in Bronte's eyes. "A bad man killed his Dad and sister."

She could see the boy was thinking out what she had told him. "You lost your husband and daughter?" Daniel asked her.

Bronte nodded. Suddenly the boy hugged her. She was taken by surprise by his gesture, but she hugged him back anyway. "Thank you Daniel." She gave him a smile. "I have told you about what happened to Callen's and my family, so you won't feel scared. We want to help you to feel comfortable with us. It's not going to be easy for you, Daniel. You are going to feel very sad and scared, and miss your Dad a lot. But there are people who can help you feel better."

Daniel nodded.

Callen and Molly looked on as they watched Bronte's hand movements communicate with Daniel. Callen had been surprised she had told him his story. But he realised why she had. The boy needed to feel comfortable with them. Because he was their only witness, and before they could ask him what happened, they needed him relaxed enough to tell them.

"How come you can sign? Do your ears not work either?" Daniel asked Bronte. The boy broke her heart.

"My ears work fine. But my son Max, his ears don't work. So I had to learn to sign, so I could talk to him, like I can with you."

"Really?" Bronte nodded. A small smile appeared on the boy's face.

Callen had been watching Bronte, and frowned as he read her hands. He pondered whether he read her hands correctly. 'Max is deaf?' He thought back over his conversations with Bronte, since he had met her. There was never a time the topic of Max being deaf coming up. Even Gibbs had omitted that fact, when he had told him the story about Greg and Carrie's murders, a year ago. But then he realised, she hadn't finished telling him yesterday, how Gibbs and Abby had become close friends of theirs. She had only told him about Gibbs, when she had become too overwhelmed to continue. He knew Abby could sign, and wondered, if that was how Bronte and Abby had become good friends. He kept a mental note for later, to ask her about it. It would also explain why she was so good at sign language.

Bronte had asked the questions about the shooting and Daniel had provided her with lots of detail. When she had finished with Daniel, she and Callen farewelled them.

Back in the Mercedes, Bronte rang through to OPS, with all the information. After she had passed it all onto Eric and Nell, Callen asked for an update on what Deeks, Sam and Kensi had found. Deeks told Callen they could go to the crime scene, and so they arranged to meet there in an hour. Callen knew Bronte needed a break. The case was taking a toll on her, although she was trying hard to hide it.

He parked the car by the beach and climbed out of the car. "What are we doing here G?" Bronte asked, confused.

"You need a break Bron. We both need the break." He admitted to her. He pulled her in close to him and walked towards the pier. They sat underneath the pier, talking everything through. How they felt and what to do with Daniel and his Mother. They agreed they should be placed in a safe house for the time being, until they were certain it was safe for them to return home.

Callen hugged Bronte and rubbed his hands up and down her arms and back for comfort. "Did I read correctly, that Max is deaf?" He asked her, almost a whisper.

Bronte looked up at him and nodded. "He was eight month old when I realised he wasn't responding to the music I was playing in the house. So I dropped a heavy pan on the floor to see if he reacted. He didn't respond to the noise. Carrie came running out from her bedroom crying, as the noise had scared her. Max didn't even acknowledge Carrie's crying." Bronte took a deep breath, before she continued. "I booked an appointment with a hearing specialist, and within the week, we had it confirmed he was completely deaf."

Callen brushed the tears from her cheeks, as her tears spilled.

"I was guttered. It was like my world had fallen apart. Here was my perfect and beautiful baby boy, but he was now deaf. And I got so angry about it. Greg couldn't help me, he got so frustrated by it all. So he called Jethro. That was when I met Abby. She came over, and well, you know Abby, she's this happy go lucky girl who loves to hug people. She saved me. She made signing fun and before we all knew it, we could sign and were prepared for Max, when he was old enough to learn. Carrie was amazing with her little brother. She would think of ways for him to enjoy music. She was only three, but she found some sticks and a drum. She placed his hands on the drum for him to feel the beat. The smile on Max's face was priceless. We eventually found a music group which specialised with deaf children, and haven't looked back since."

Callen pulled Bronte in closer to him and kissed her firmly on the lips. "You are an amazing woman, Bronte Smith."

Their kiss was interrupted by gunfire from above them. They could see people on the beach running for cover. Callen pointed above and signed to Bronte, what they were going to do. He pressed in his agent needs assistance code in twice on his phone, before switching his phone to quiet. Bronte did the same. Together, they moved to the other side of the pier. Callen popped his head up to have a better look. Fortunately, the men shooting, were parked in a black Cadillac and were firing only on one side from the pier. Callen hand signalled to Bronte for their plan of action. Quietly they climbed onto the pier with their weapons drawn. On the count of three, Callen signalled the countdown, and together they fired at the three gunmen. Two went down immediately, but the third managed to fire a shot towards Bronte. Bronte reacted quickly, but was still hit in the arm. Callen fired again, killing the gunman.

Sirens rang out, as LAPD and ambulances arrived on the scene. Sam's challenger could be heard screeching around the corner, as he arrived with Kensi. They both jumped out of the car, with their guns drawn, only to find Callen and Bronte had the situation under control. A camera crew arrived soon after, trying to record the incident.

Callen leant over to Bronte to assess her wound. "Are you ok?" He asked her with concern etched in his face.

She nodded. "Just a scratch." She noticed Callen looked at her wound more closely.

"You need to see a Doctor to fix this up Bron." He told her, seriously.

She shook her head. "No G! I can patch it up with a bandage back at the office.

Callen felt his cell vibrate. He looked to see it was Hetty calling him. "Hi Hetty, how are you?" He tried to be as normal as possible.

"What the hell are you two trying to do out there? Get yourselves killed? You are all over the news Mr Callen. You are fortunate Philipe is not here to watch this." Hetty had watched the whole event unfold on the television in her hospital room.

"Hetty!" Callen tried to calm Hetty down. "We had to stop them before they hurt or killed anyone else. It's our job, remember?"

Hetty let out the breath she had been holding. "How is she, Mr Callen?" Now that she was calm again, she could address the pressing matter of seeing her daughter get shot on TV.

"Bronte says she is fine and for you not to worry about her. I will personally drive her to the hospital to be checked out. It looks like the bullet only scratched her skin." Callen advised her.

"You are both very lucky. I will have my Doctor here see to her, once you arrive, Mr Callen. Good job out there today. But please stay safe." She now had to ring Eric for him to do his magic trick of dubbing out Callen and Bronte from the television images, to protect their identities.

"Ok, thanks Hetty. We'll see you soon." Callen looked over towards Bronte. "You Mom insists on her Doctor taking a look at your arm."

Bronte sighed. "How does she do it?" She inquired.

"We were on the news." He advised her. Callen brought her closer to him and kissed her gently on the lips.

Kensi was surprised to see Callen being so affectionate with Bronte. She looked over at Sam, and could see him grinning over at his partner. She sighed. How nice it would be to have someone, who knew who you really were, to love you like that. "Is that what I think I'm seeing? Kensi heard her partner ask as he arrived on the scene?"

"Yes, it is, Deeks." Deeks looked over to her. "You don't seem to happy about it!" He stated.

"Oh I am happy for Callen, don't get me wrong. He deserves to be happy. And Bronte, after all she's been through. I just wish I could have some of that, with someone too. That's all." She revealed to him.

Deeks pulled her into a hug. "It's alright, Fern, Marty Deeks is here whenever you want, ok?"

Kensi laughed. "You're funny Deeks." But as she looked back at him, she could see he had been serious. 'Why does he always hide behind humour all the time?' She wondered. She really wished he would communicate better, about how he felt about her. She never knew if he was just fooling around, or was being honest with her. She needed to understand him better, before she could risk letting her guard down around him.

_Love to know what your thoughts are on this story. Please review._


	6. Chapter 6

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 6**

Callen almost had to drag Bronte inside the hospital, to have her arm attended to. It hadn't taken long, before Hetty's Doctor, Dr Michael Long, appeared in the ER, to see her. "Hello Mrs Smith." He greeted her. "Let's have a look at your arm." The Doctor placed a small lamp over her arm to get a good look at her wound.

Callen watched the Doctor inspect Bronte's wound. Dr Long picked up some tweezers and they watched him pull shards of a bullet out from underneath her skin. He placed them on a small plastic lid.

"Looks like remnants from the bullet that hit you." Dr Long stated. Concern crossed his face. "I've never seen anything like it. "We're you on the beach this afternoon?"

Callen and Bronte nodded.

"The hospitals closer to the beach have been swamped with people injured and killed from the rampage those men went on this morning." He shook his head. "You are one very lucky woman." He studied Bronte and Callen for a moment. "You weren't the two who killed them were you?"

Bronte gave Callen an awkward look. "We rather you didn't mention it to anyone." Callen told the Doctor. "Especially to Bronte's Father. He thinks she a journalist." He worried about Philipe finding out about the afternoon's events.

"It's safe with me." Dr Long replied. "But something tells me, you're not just cops. From the footage I saw, you were more military." He concluded.

"Something like that." Callen responded. Relieved, their secret was safe with him.

"You're Mother will be expecting you to visit her after we have finished here. Now I am going to put some antiseptic on your wound, before I stitch it up. It's not too deep, so there's no muscle, ligament or bone damage. I will place a bandage over it, but you need to keep it dry for a few days."

Bronte nodded. "I've had worse, before Doctor. I know the drill."

Callen's eyebrows raised over her comment. Concern flashed over his face, over where she had been hurt before? Something he will have to wait to see, he realised. Today had been far more than either of them had anticipated.

Bronte knocked on her Mother's door, before she entered. "Hi Mom." She greeted her, hesitantly. She worried how her being injured would effect her Mother's progress from her operation.

"My dear Bronte." She smiled at her daughter, relieved she was ok. "How are you?"

Bronte walk in closer to her Mom. "I'm ok Mom. You don't need to worry about me." She stressed to her.

Hetty sighed. "It's my right to worry about you Bronte." She placed her hand on her daughter's face.

Bronte looked into her Mother's eyes. She saw concern and grief there. "I know Mom. You have every right. Especially after what happened with..." She couldn't continued. Even after a year, she still found it hard to talk about it. Her eyes glistened with tears. She bent down to hug her Mom. She understood about a Mother's pain and worry. She had worried about Max ever since she found out he was deaf. Then her worse fear came to fruition when she lost Greg and Carrie.

Callen stood in the doorway, watching a very intimate moment between Mother and daughter. He ached inside, wishing he still had his Mother around. He had missed so much of her, over the years. Hetty had been the closest he ever had since, to a Mother.

Hetty looked up and saw her senior agent feeling awkward. "Thank you Mr Callen, for looking after my Bronte." Her smile was warm and spread to her eyes.

Callen could see love there, in her eyes. It was a new side of Hetty, he had seen. Although he had seen her mothering him and the others around the office, to actually see her being so loving with her own daughter, was different. He smiled in return. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Bronte looked over towards him. She wanted to drag him over to the two of them. She had felt for a very long time, that he belonged in their family. It was what she had tried to do many years ago. But now, she understood how awkward he would feel, if she did drag him over. For one, he was a man. Men aren't all lovey dovey like women are. Secondly, he had lived so long without love in his life. She understood the need to go slow with him. Even though she needed to go slow as well. With all she had lost, it was hard for her to love again. Which is why she was amazed how she just can't get enough of him, since he had hugged her on Saturday night. The comfort he gave her, had surprised her. She gave him a smile. And if she understood G Callen correctly, he couldn't seem to get enough of her. Thinking back to the wonderful day they'd had the day before, made her glow inside. "We better go Mom. "We've got a crime scene to visit." Bronte suddenly realised.

"No we don't." Callen advised her. He moved in closer, but still stood a metre away from her. She could see his apprehension of moving any closer.

Bronte raised her right brow in question. "Yes we do." She tilted her head, trying to figure out what he was saying.

Callen shook his head. "Deeks and Kensi are looking it over right now. I am taking you home." He advised her. He stood firmly on this fact and looked over towards Hetty for support on this matter.

"Mr Callen is right Bronte. You need time to recover from your injury." Hetty tenderly added in agreement.

"I'm fine." Bronte tried to get them to see reason. Her reason, that she was going to work on this case. "The boy trusts me to find whoever killed his Father." She felt her reason was strong. Strong enough for them to let her have her own way.

"We're a team. So the rest of us will find his killer." Callen responded gently. "You've been through too much already today. As team leader, I am ordering you rest for the rest of the day." Callen smirked as he saw her eyes widen, ready to argue with him. "No buts, Bron."

Hetty smiled at the couple before her. Her seasoned agent, who has managed to hide his emotions well over the years for protection, had softened. She noted. For her daughter, nonetheless. Although he tried to act all professional around her, with Bronte, she could tell he had let his guard down, when matters concerned her daughter. This behaviour was new from him, and she grinned happily on the inside, that Bronte could take his walls down so easily. Even her daughter blossomed. After all her grief, she saw the sparkle return to her eyes. 'Well I never.' She thought to herself. 'Never had she predicted these two would have such an effect on each other.'

Callen's cell rang. "Hi Eric." Bronte watched Callen listen to Eric on the other end. "Thanks Eric. Tell Sam I'll meet him there. I just have to drop Bronte home first." He looked up at them. "We've got to go. I'll drop you home first." He was brief with his words. So quickly, Callen had returned to the agent Hetty knew well. Focused and eager to bring justice for the victim's family. "Good to see you are doing well Hetty."

"Bye Mom." Bronte quickly hugged her gently. "And don't worry."

"Bye dear. I'll try." She gave her a soft smile. "Thank you Mr Callen for taking good care of her." Hetty watched them leave. "Oh goody!" She clasped her hands together and grinned happily. 'This one didn't need any nudging.'

**NCIS**

Callen pulled up behind Sam's challenger. His partner leaned on his car door, while he waited for him. "Thanks for waiting. We were with Hetty when Eric called me. I needed to drop Bronte home first." He pulled on his vest and checked his weapon, before they moved out to enter the property.

"Surveillance footage has shown no one has arrived or left since last night." Sam was all business. "Forensics has placed the man inside this house, at the crime scene two hours before the shooting. Daniel's description matches him." Sam turned and looked around the corner of the garage, towards the house.

Callen scanned the area. "Any bet there's a black SUV in the garage?" He looked to see if there was a window or door to look inside.

"Someone is coming." Sam whispered. He held up his hands to indicate to Callen to wait. The partners waited with bated breath as they watched the occupant of the house leave the house and enter the garage. They knew they needed to act fast, or they would lose him. They heard a humming sound and realised the garage door was being opened. Perfect for them to enter. They switched angels and prepared to back each other up and come in through the front. The engine roared as the black SUV sped out of the garage. They hadn't had time to get into position. Callen was nearly hit by the vehicle, but Sam quickly reacted by pulling him back towards him.

Callen readily caught his breath. "Thanks Sam." He was glad his partner had reacted swiftly. They fired at the SUV but the driver continued its escape.

Callen and Sam quickly ran back to their cars and followed in pursuit.

"Eric. We need LAPD backup. Suspect has left the premises in the black SUV that was involved in Hobson's shooting." Callen rapidly told the Technical Operator.

"I have your locations, Callen." Eric responded. He concentrated on the moving GPS trackers in Sam and Callen's vehicles, while he called LAPD for backup. "LAPD are on their way."

"Thanks Eric." Callen concentrated on the road, as he and Sam had to avoid traffic whilst in pursuit.

Sam suddenly slammed on his breaks, causing Callen to do the same, as the black SUV turned and the driver started firing at him. They could hear sirens and knew backup was minutes away. Sam ducked behind his door, as he tried to find more cover from the gunman. When he heard the automatic rifle stop firing, he knew he had seconds before the man reloaded and started firing again. He peeped around his door and fired, injuring the suspect. He could see Callen sneaking up around the black SUV for a clearer shot, when the now injured gunman started firing again.

Callen ducked behind a tree, narrowly escaping being shot. He waited for the silence again before looking out to fire at him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see LAPD getting into position behind their vehicles. He showed his Federal Agent badge, so there was no misunderstanding who the target was here. He saw them nod, before he fired and hit the suspect in the chest. The man went down. Sam and Callen took their chance to run over and kick his rifle away from him. LAPD officers moved in slowly, for support.

The suspect clutched his chest from the pain from the last hit. Blood poured down his left arm from Sam's hit. Callen crouched down. "Why did you shoot Lieutenant Commander Hobson?" He saw fear in the man's eyes, when he heard Callen's question.

"He'll kill me if I tell you." Callen shook his head.

"You'll die if you don't tell me." He looked up at Sam who was on his cell asking for paramedics.

"The boy." The man was weak. Callen had to get down low to hear him. "His Father paid me to get rid of Hobson."

"Hobson was the boy's Father." Callen growled at him with frustration. "Who paid you Blackwood? I need a name."

No response came from Blackwood. His eyes went blank, as death took him.

"Damn it." Callen stood and phoned Eric. "Eric."

Eric Beale jumped from his seat, as he heard a very frustrated Callen on the other end of the phone. "Um..yes Callen."

"Blackwood's dead. He mentioned Hobson was not the boy's real Father." Callen calmed down a little as he continued talking to Eric. It wasn't Eric's fault for the failure of extracting information from Blackwood, before he died. He reminded himself. "Where has Molly and Daniel Hobson been moved to?"

"I'm sending the address to your phones now Callen." Eric punched in the address and pressed send.

"Thanks Eric. We'll leave LAPD to clean up this mess. Let the agents protecting the Hobsons' know we are on our way." He looked over at Sam's challenger. 'Hetty's going to be furious.' Another load of body work needed on the challenger. "We'll need a tow truck for Sam's challenger too." He threw the keys to his Mercedes over to Sam. "Let's speak to Mrs Hobson this time."

Sam caught the keys and passed his keys on to one to the attending officers. "Are you going to be up to signing with her?"

"I'll have to. You can video her responses, so Eric can correct me if I get it wrong." He suggested. He was not going to bother Bronte again. She needed to rest.

Twenty-five minutes later, they pulled up outside of the safe house Molly and Daniel had been moved to. It was in a very quiet and leafy suburb, not far from Kristin's house. He found himself thinking about Michael, whether he would recognise the boy if he saw him again. But he knew he needed to focus on the case at hand, so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head.

Callen and Sam nodded to the agents protecting the Mother and son, as they entered the house. Sam asked the agents to play ball with the boy outside, while Callen spoke with his Mother.

"Mrs Hobson." Callen signed to her. He saw she watched his hands closely, to see why he was there to see them again. "We have caught the man who killed your husband."

Tears spilled from her eyes, as relief that the gunman who killed her husband was no longer free. 'They were safe again.' So she thought.

"He died half an hour ago." Molly tilted her head, surprised at the news.

"Dead?" Callen noticed relief in her eyes. Callen nodded.

"Does the name David Blackwood mean anything to you?" He asked her. Callen understood the need to be gentle with her.

She shook her head. "No." She signed. "Is that the man who killed Glenn?"

"Yes." Fear crossed over Molly's face. Callen knew she had come to the conclusion herself over who had killed her husband.

"You know who paid him to kill your husband, don't you?" Molly turned away from Callen, to prevent him from asking further.

Callen gently placed his hand on her arm. "Mrs Hobson." He had turned her around so she could see him signing. "Who is Daniel's real Father?"

Molly crumbled to the floor and cried. She shook her head, afraid that her suspicion had been correct. She looked up at Callen. "A Russian man, named Pavlo Bashmakov."

Callen froze as he saw her sign the name. He turned to Sam who was videoing her signing. "Eric. Can you please confirm the name Mrs Hobson just signed?"

"Pavlo Bashmakov." Eric repeated. "Isn't he the head of the Bashmakov Russian crime family?" Eric typed the name and pulled all the details of him up in the screen.

Nell had just walked in thought the sliding doors with her eyes nearly popping out of her head when she saw his face. "Why do you have Pavlo Bashmakov's photo and details on the screen Eric?" She shivered as she remembered the last time she had encountered the man. He was ruthless, and she had narrowly escaped him, thanks to Callen.

Callen heard Nell's voice in the background. "Shit!" He said louder than he had wanted. He looked over at Sam, he who had concern etched in his face.

Molly Hobson, although she couldn't hear, had read Callen's lips as he had sworn. She signed again to him. "What is wrong?" Callen saw fear in her eyes.

"Pavlo nearly killed a member of my team three years ago. I narrowly rescued her from him." He remembered too clearly the state Nell had been in, when he had rescued her. Nightmares of Pavlo still haunted his dreams. He was sure Nell did too. He became very serious. "How did you get involved with a man like him?"

Molly sighed. "Glenn was overseas on his deployment and I was working at the Roosevelt, in the kitchen. I'm a dessert chef." She explained. "He approached me after my shift one night. He had seen me sign to another employee, so he had figured out I was deaf. He knew sign and asked me to join him for a drink." Molly paused as she fumbled with her fingers. It wasn't a part of her life she was proud of. "I agreed. But I didn't realise till after I had agreed, that he intended on having the drinks in the penthouse."

Callen noticed she was shaking. "Are you ok?" He signed to her. He worried over what had caused her to suddenly shake.

Molly shook her head. She hugged herself, to regain some control of her emotions before she carried on. "He was nice at first. But when I refused to let him touch me, he became rough." She looked Callen in the eyes. Callen saw shame and fear in her eyes. "He raped me." Molly curled up on the couch and stared straight ahead. Reliving the moment, had unsettled her. She never thought Pavlo would realise Daniel was his son and kill Glenn because of it. Goosebumps emerged on her skin. 'How was she ever going to explain this to her son?'

Callen sat down beside Molly. He gave her space, but needed to continue talking about it. "Did you tell your husband what had happened?" He studied her reaction to his question.

Molly nodded. "Glenn was angry. He wanted to kill him. If he could find him. I don't know if he ever found him and confronted him about it. Glenn never brought up the subject again." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "When I found out I was pregnant...we both knew...but Glenn was amazing and loved Daniel as if he was his own son." She sobbed. It was all too much for her. "Glenn didn't deserve to die. Not like that."

Callen rubbed her arms to comfort her. "No he didn't." Callen hated cases like this. When the real good guys were killed by some senseless and evil person. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked her gently.

Molly shook her head.

"You'll be safe here." Callen reassured her.

Sam and Callen left the Hobsons in the agents' care. But Callen warned the agents to keep alert, due to the heightened danger for them.

Sam looked over at his partner, who had remained silent throughout the drive back to the mission. "Are you okay G?" He knew how personal the Bashmakov's case was to him, especially when he had kidnapped Nell. Callen still hadn't revealed any details of what had happened to Nell back then. From the look on his face, Sam knew it still haunted him.

"I will be, when we kill this monster." Callen gruffly answered. Sam remembered how Callen had referred to Bashmakov as a monster, three years earlier.

_Love to know what your thoughts are on this story. Please review._


	7. Chapter 7

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 7**

"Where's Nell?" Callen asked as he walked into OPS.

Eric turned around to face their team leader. "I don't know." He replied softly. He had been concerned over his partner's disappearance, after she had seen Pavlo's picture up on the screen.

"Right. Thanks Eric." Callen's mind turned over as he thought where she could be. He thought back to three years ago, after she had been given the green light to return to work. He had found her in the shower room, huddled on the floor in a corner. He left OPS and ran down the stairs, determined to find her.

Callen walked swiftly, but quietly as he entered the ladies shower room. He hoped none of the female agents were in there, changing. He sighed with relief, as he found Nell in the same place. He crouched down next to her on the floor. "Nell!" She turned and looked at him. "We will get him. I promised you that three years ago."

Nell could see Callen's determination in his eyes. She remained quiet, unsure where to begin. She had trusted him to keep her secret and she knew he had. But now this case had brought it all back. The strength she thought she had gained, since rebuilding her life, floundered, the moment she saw his evil face. She hadn't even told Eric what had happened. She didn't know if she ever could. Nell didn't want him to worry about her, or see pity in his eyes every time he looked at her. "I thought I could get over it." She finally whispered. She swallowed hard and licked her lips from nerves. "I haven't told anyone about what happened G. I can't."

Callen gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "There's no need for you to tell anyone Nell, if you don't want to. You've seen a psychologist, so you have talked about it and received treatment." Callen paused as he thought back to three years ago. He had found Nell stripped of her clothes, bloodied and extremely pale in colour. Her body shook from shock and the cold. It had ripped his heart open to find her like that. No one deserved to suffer like she had. He had promised her he would find the monster who had done this to her and kill him. Unfortunately, no opportunity had arisen since for him to fulfil his promise to her.

"Eric." Nell croaked out. Her emotions were all over the place. "I can't have him know." She shook her head. "We've been seeing each other for ten months."

Callen raised his brow and smiled. "About time you admitted that something was going on between you two." He was happy that she had managed to get over her ordeal and trust a man again. He understood the effects rape and torture had to the soul, from the abusive Foster Fathers he'd had and the numerous occasions he had been tortured, in the line of duty. Callen had stood beside Nell and supported her through her treatment, without any other members of the team knowing about it. He felt the responsibility on ensuring each member of his team were safe and happy.

"You knew?" She asked, surprised. She thought they had successfully hid it from them.

Callen nodded. "I think you'll find everyone knows Nell." He admitted.

Nell blushed. "Oh."

"But don't worry, I won't tell them about your Sunday breakfasts with Eric down by the boardwalk, if you won't tell them about mine, with Bronte." He had seen her and Eric after all, Nell realised.

Nell smiled, through her tear streaked face. "You looked really happy G. I was surprised you knew how to sign. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Callen hesitated, before he told her why. "It was a long time ago, when I met my guardian angel."

Nell tilted her head, surprised by his revelation. "I thought that was Hetty?" She questioned him.

Callen shook his head. "Funny you should say that. Hetty has become that too. But when I was sixteen, I was down by the beach with a Foster Family I was living with at the time. There was a girl living with the family who was deaf. She had been placed there because the Mother could sign. I felt bad I couldn't communicate with her, so I asked her to teach me. So we were on the beach and she was teaching me my name." Callen saw Nell had forgotten her fears and was enthralled by his story. They were very few, the stories he told of his childhood, that he ever shared. This one, he had never told anyone before. "Two girls around thirteen came over intrigued with me learning to sign. One of the girls got my attention immediately. She was beautiful and I was immediately in love with her. I thought my guardian angel had come to rescue me from hell." Callen drew his knees up to his chest. It was one of the few good memories he had. "The darker haired girl seemed smitten with me, but I was more interested in the girl with silky honey coloured hair. It shone in the sunlight. All I wanted to do was feel it."

"What happened?" Nell asked him, curiously.

"We spent the rest of the day hanging out on the beach, with my Foster sister teaching the three of us how to sign. The girls enjoyed it. I never saw them again after that." He frowned at the memory of when he met Lauren again, and how badly he had treated her.

"What were their names? We could do a search for them?" Nell suggested.

Callen smiled. "Thanks Nell, but there's no need. I know who they are now." Nell could see the smile reached his eyes, making them sparkle.

"Bronte." Nell realised, when she saw his eyes sparkle. She was the reason for Callen's happiness.

"Yes. She remembered yesterday, when we were having breakfast." He admitted.

"She knew it was me, because I was the only person they knew whose first name was just the letter G." He revealed more than he thought he would to anyone, but he knew the distraction was good for Nell.

"They?" Nell questioned him, as she pondered. "The other girl she was with?"

Callen nodded. "Her adopted sister, Lauren."

Nell's eyes widen with the realisation of what he had said. "Hunter?"

Callen laughed. "You don't miss a beat, do you Nell?"

Nell blushed. "I suppose not. How did they know who you were back then?"

"Bronte is Hetty's daughter." He revealed to Nell. He laughed as he saw her eyes widen with surprise.

"Are you serious? Hetty has a daughter?" Nell kept her voice low, knowing Callen was divulging more to her than he would normally.

"Yes." Callen chuckled over Nell's excitement over the news. "They knew about Hetty watching over me all those years. Bronte tried to persuade her to have me live with them, but Hetty couldn't. So when they were at the beach with a nanny and heard my name was G Callen, they were instantly drawn over to us. I never forgot them."

"But you and Hunter..." Nell stated more soberly.

"I know. Perhaps I was too harsh with her." His expression became more solemn. "But if she had been more open with me and told me what she had done to...protect me, I would have trusted her." His trust issues stemmed from having no family, or anyone to give him any form of love, for him to build it on. Until Hetty and Sam. And now Bronte.

"So when did you meet Bronte again, after the beach?" Nell inquired. It had her curious since she had seen them together at the cafe.

"Monday. I went to see Hetty, and caught Bronte talking to Hetty, calling her Mom." He disclosed. "She's here because Hetty is worried about her. So she's trying to keep her behind a desk, instead of being in the field. Hetty was furious when she saw us on the news shooting those gunmen."

"Well I suppose it's natural for any Mom to be protective of their child!" Nell thought how her own Mom would react, if she knew what she had gone through since joining NCIS.

"Bronte lost her husband and daughter a year ago. They were gunned down in a park, in New York, by a Columbian Drug Cartel member. Greg had infiltrated the cartel and his team had taken them down. They thought they had caught or killed them all." Callen paused before he continued. "Bronte's son Max saw it all happen."

"What?" Nell was in shock. She thought over all that Callen had told her. "That's why you were so protective of her earlier." She realised.

Callen nodded. "Today's been a hell of a day for everyone." He was talking about Bronte and Nell, in particular. But he had shot and killed three gunmen with Bronte, then helped Sam with Blackwood, and then faced with the monster Pavlo. "Go home Nell."

Nell raise she'd brows at him. "Oh no G!" She exclaimed. "I'm working on this case, to ensure you get him." She got frustrated with him. "Stop right there G." She pointed her finger at him, showing her determination that she was not going home.

"Ok." He raised his hands in surrender. "But if you want out at any time, you go home."

Nell gave him a small smile of appreciation. "Thanks G." She stood and left for OPS. She had a lot of work to do.

**NCIS**

The team were busy. Chasing up leads, visiting contacts of Pavlo's and checking surveillance of all known locations that Pavlo resided, whenever he visited Los Angeles. Before Callen knew it, it was six at night. The sun was setting, causing a golden glow to filter through the windows into the bull pen. He picked up his cell and called Bronte. He needed to fill her in on the details of what was happening, seeing she needed to relay it all back to Granger and Vance (if he called).

"Hi G, are you coming over for dinner?" Bronte inquired.

"How are you going Bron?" He returned her question with another question. A habit of Hetty's, he realised. "No, I can't sorry. We're too busy."

"Then I'll come back, if you're that busy." Bronte looked over at her Father busily working on their dinner. Her Father had been unusually quiet throughout the afternoon, but she supposed it was because he was leaving the next day.

"No, thanks. It's jutted over into an old case of ours. But I'll fill you in what we have so far." Callen talked through the details over Blackwood's information of the boy's Father and who he was. Exhaustion set in after he had finished filling Bronte in. He had promised he'd come over later. But somehow he thought he'd probably end up on the couch by the bull pen, with the way he was feeling.

He was distracted when his phone rang. When he looked at the caller ID, he saw it was Hetty. "Hi Hetty."

"Mr Callen. I was wondering if you could please pick me up from the hospital and take me home." Callen frowned. He walked out of the bull pen for some privacy.

"But you're not being released until next week!" He stated. "What's going on Hetty?" He thought she was worrying about Bronte being shot at earlier that day.

"I think Philipe saw the news footage. He's been uncharacteristically quiet this afternoon. I need to be there to support Bronte if he brings it up." She advised him, hoping he'll accept her request.

"I'm sorry Hetty, we're busy working on a case. I can't leave now. Look. I'm going over later. I'll check that she's ok then." He suggested. The last thing he wanted was to go through the details of this case with Hetty, while she was supposed to be resting from her op.

"What's going on Mr Callen?" She demanded. "I know that tone of yours. Do I have to come in there to get it out of you?" She huffed.

"Hetty! You can't leave the hospital. You are under strict instructions from Dr Long to rest." Concern crossed his face, as he worried over her as well. "I will not tell you anything. I have advised Bronte, who is talking to Granger as we speak. And if Vance calls, he can deal with Bronte." He was not having Hetty escape from hospital, amongst everything else that was going on. "I've got to go." He hung up the phone. When he walked back into the bull pen, he slammed his hand on the desk. Frustration rippled through him. As he turned, he saw Sam, Kensi and Deeks look at him with amusement.

"Did you just hang up in Hetty?" Deeks asked him.

"She's such a stubborn woman." Callen began. "She's suppose to be resting and instead she wants in on this case."

He noticed Sam shrug his shoulders.

Callen nodded in return. 'It was time.' He realised. 'To fill in the team on Hetty.' "Everyone in OPS." He declared. He watched the team file up the stairs, to join Eric and Nell.

Eric and Nell were surprised at the agents' presence, as they hadn't called them with more intel. When Callen and Sam arrived in, Callen addressed them all for a team meeting. He looked around at his team, and saw their expectant faces. "I need to tell you what's been going on." He began. They remained silent as they listened to their team leader. "Hetty is not on vacation." Deeks whistled, while shock crossed Nell's face. But he noticed Kensi and Eric had some idea of what was going on. "She's sick." Callen talked them through all the details of Hetty's illness, operation and progress. "If Hetty calls through to any of you, it is imperative you do not divulge any details about this or any other case." They all nodded their heads. "Then Callen told them about Bronte. Who she was and what she had been through. After he had finished, he asked them if they had any questions. No one did. "Ok. Lets get on with this case."

**NCIS**

It was ten o'clock in the evening by the time Callen pulled up outside Hetty's house. The door was locked, but he didn't want to disturb Bronte or Philipe, so he picked the lock. As he climbed the stairs he heard Philipe yelling at Bronte. As he reached the top he quietly edged closer to Bronte's bedroom. Standing in the doorway was Philipe, holding Bronte's service weapon.

"Père!" He could hear Bronte trying to calm him down. "Put my gun down." She pleaded with him.

"Why do you have a gun?" Philipe asked her. "And what is this?" He threw her NCIS Federal Agent badge onto her bed.

"You went through my bag?" Bronte couldn't believe her Father would even do such a thing. She could see he was upset. "You had no right." She stood to take her weapon from him, but he remained pointing it at her, which scared her a little.

"I have every right, when my own daughter lies to me." He scolded. "You and Mr Callen." He gulped. "I saw the two of you on the news." He shook his head. "You shot those gunmen dead." Philipe's hand shook. He hated the gun he was holding. It represented violence to him and what took his granddaughter's life.

"We had to save the people on the beach." She admitted. "Père, please!" Bronte reached her hand out to her Father. Philipe dropped her weapon into her hand. Quickly Bronte checked the safety switch was still on. Relief waved through her body, when she saw it was. She placed it in the back of her jeans.

"Père!" Bronte spoke softly. "You need to sit down." She watched her Father sit on the chair in the corner of her bedroom. "You need to understand.."

Callen remained in the hallway. All threat had been removed, so he relaxed. The door was open, so he could hear her talking to her Father.

"Understand what? That you kill people for a living?" Philipe was not amused.

"I save people's lives. Save!" She emphasised. Bronte sighed. "Père. I did not lie to you, because I disrespect you. It's a matter of national security. Even if you were an American citizen, I still wouldn't have been allowed to have told you. I'd be thrown into jail, for treason. It's that serious." Bronte tried to reason with her Father, why she had lied to him.

"Jail?" Philipe was confused. "Why would you go to jail for telling your Father what you did for a living?" He shook his head, as he mulled over her words.

"Oiu, Père." She answered him. "But I don't do this job to kill. However, like today, we had no choice. Our job is to serve this country and protect the innocent. The people on the beach needed our help. We were there, sitting under the pier when all hell broke loose. It would have been wrong for us to have not done anything." She explained.

"What about backup?" He inquired. "Aren't you suppose to wait for backup?"

"Normally we are. But today required immediate action." She replied. She was tired, and her arm throbbed from her injury.

It was the first time Philipe noticed her bandaged arm. "What happened to you?" He saw her wince in pain.

"It's nothing Père. Just a scratch." Philipe wondered over to her and saw how big the bandage was.

"A scratch does not have such a big bandage over it." He stressed.

"She got hit today." Bronte and Philipe's heads popped up when they heard Callen's voice. They were surprised to see him there. "But the Doctor patched her up, so you don't need to worry about her Philipe."

"You're not helping my cause here G." Bronte scolded him.

"You got hit?" Worry was etched in Philipe's face. "And you tell me it's just a scratch?" He was in shock over her lack of concern over her injury.

"When a bullet grazes our skin, we call it a scratch." She tried to calm him down again. "It isn't worth worrying about."

"But you're in pain." Philipe replied.

Callen moved closer to where Bronte sat on the floor. Scattered around her were photos of Greg, Carrie and Max. He hesitated when he saw them. She had been crying. He noted. He yearned inside his stomach to comfort her. But the photos hit him harder than he had expected. They were her family. Whether they were alive or dead. He wasn't. He took a step back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come." Callen went to leave, but Bronte jumped up to stop him.

"Don't go." She asked him. Bronte held his arm firmly.

Callen turned and looked in her eyes. He saw her grief. 'She wasn't ready to love again.' He thought. He ached in the pit of his stomach. He so badly wanted to be with her. But he felt he couldn't. 'Not yet. Maybe, not ever.' "Your Mother wanted me to check up on you." He tried to avert his eyes. "I'm tired and it's been a very long day. Goodnight."

He felt her hand slip from his arm. He suddenly felt alone again. Quickly he ran down the stairs and let himself out. He drove home on automatic pilot. When he pulled up in his driveway, he hit his hands on the steering wheel. 'What was he thinking? Pushing her for more than she was ready for?'

Callen unlocked his front door and went straight to sleep on the bed roll. He tossed and turned thinking about Bronte and about Nell. He worried how this case would effect her. He decided to focus on his promise to Nell. To kill the monster.

_Love to know what you think. Please review._


	8. Chapter 8

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 8**

It was six in the morning when Callen hit the sandbag, in the gym. He was lucky if he'd had more than three hours sleep. He tried to put Bronte out of his mind, but to no effect. After he had finished, he showered and changed into some fresh clothes. He walked into the bull pen and noticed Bronte's bag by Hetty's desk. He turned to brew some coffee, when he jumped with surprise. Bronte stood in his way to the coffee machine.

"You're avoiding me." She began. "Why?" Bronte studied Callen's reaction. Like the night before, he averted his eyes away from hers. His arms were crossed over his chest, signifying he had built his walls back up around his heart. Bronte frowned. "You can't avoid me G." He reminded her of Max, when something bothered him, but he didn't want to talk about it. "Fine. Behave like an eight year old boy then." Bronte left him alone, frustrated as to why he had suddenly closed up around her.

By eight, the rest of the team had arrived and were being briefed in OPS on the intel they had so far. Callen delivered out instructions for his team, on what he needed them to do. The day was busy, with leads to chase up on, from the intel Nell and Eric had gathered. Callen preferred to be busy. It meant he didn't have time to dwell on Bronte. He and Sam were outside the Roosevelt, watching Deeks and Kensi's backs, while they worked inside the Hotel, on the lookout for Pavlo. Callen needed to keep out of sight, as Pavlo knew who he was. Kensi had managed to enter his suite, whilst he was eating lunch in the restaurant. She planted four bugs and was clear, before he returned.

Nell trembled as she saw Pavlo enter his room. The cameras and mics Kensi had planted were being broadcasted in the OPS Centre. Bronte and Eric watched alongside her. Eric looked over at his partner with concern. Nell managed to avoid eye contact with him and tried hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

Pavlo was alone in his suite. He loved company, especially the female kind. But on this visit, he had more pressing matters to address. Getting his son from the woman he had raped, eight years earlier. Out of all the women he had raped, or had a relationship with, the boy was his only child. He paced the room, wondering why he hadn't heard from the gunman he had hired to kill the husband. He needed confirmation he had taken the man out, so he could have what was his. The boy. He didn't want the woman. She would be more of a problem to him than good. He was seven now. Old enough to live without her. He had decided. He would take the boy home to Russia and bring him up on his own. He needn't worry the boy didn't know Russian. He was deaf, and he could sign.

"He's trying to contact Blackwood's cell." Eric stated.

"Intercept it." He heard Callen's voice over the comms. "Transfer it over to my phone."

"Ok, on it." Eric tapped the buttons on his computer.

Callen's phone rang. "Hello?" He spoke gruffly. He waited for Pavlo to speak on the other end of the phone.

"Ah!" Pavlo wasn't sure if the person he was speaking with was Blackwood. "Have you completed the assignment?" He was being cautious not to say too much."

Callen looked over at Sam, concerned. "Yes! I want my money." He demanded. The less he said, the better, Callen thought.

"Meet me at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Park. Three o'clock, on the red bridge, in the Japanese Garden. You will get your money." Pavlo hung up. He needed to drive by the Hobson house to see if there was any proof Blackwood had done what he had said. Then he would kill him. A loose end. He concluded.

Satisfied Blackwood had completed the assignment, after seeing police tape across the front lawn of the Hobson's house, he drove to Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Park.

Callen and his team were waiting for Pavlo perched in position around the red bridge. They waited for Pavlo to arrive on the bridge, before Callen walked closer. He knew there would be trouble once he recognised him, but what else could he do? Deeks and Kensi may be recognised from the hotel. It left him or Sam. They both knew Callen could pass as Blackwood from a distance. The problem was when he got close enough for Pavlo to recognise him.

Bronte watched Callen walk towards the red bridge. She was unaware the danger he was in. If she had known, she would have pulled the plug. It should have been transferred over to the FBI anyway. Deeks and Kensi had returned to speak with Hobson's CO about Molly's rape. He revealed he had given Hobson a name of a mate of his, who worked in the FBI, to help him find Pavlo. After a call to the Federal Agent in the FBI, they discovered that had been keeping tabs on Pavlo for the past eight years. But so far they hadn't the proof to arrest him. But Callen had taken charge, saying it was linked from an old case, and Hobson was Navy. She had given in, because she saw how determined he was to finish the case.

Eric worried over Callen being made, and the effects the case was having on Nell. But no one had let on to Bronte the details on their previous case. She would have sent Nell home, had she'd known.

Pavlo turned and saw Callen approach. He realised his suspicions that the man one phone had not been Blackwood. Then he recognised him. He drew out his weapon and fired.

Callen ducked behind a bush. Sam jumped up out of the pond and fired his rifle. Pavlo went down. Callen ran over, with Deeks and Kensi following suit. Callen kicked Pavlo's weapon away before he checked his status. He shook his head. "He's dead."

Relief flooded through Nell at Callen's words. He had promised he would kill him. Although Sam was the one who fired his weapon, it was as if Callen had done the act himself. They were a team. A family. And they had come through for her. She quickly left OPS, needing some space. Her emotions were shaky. She needed to be alone, till she felt she could bring her emotions again under control.

"Where's Nell gone to?" Bronte asked Eric. Eric shrugged. Puzzled by the Intelligence Analyst's quiet mood all day and her sudden departure, when the team had killed Pavlo, she went to find her.

Nell sat in the corner of the women's shower room. The place was quiet and out of the way. It had provided peace for her in the past. It seemed only Callen knew she went there. She heard footsteps. When she looked up through her tears, she saw Bronte.

Bronte looked down at the petite redhead with a gentleness, very much like her Mother's. She sat down next to Nell and remained quiet. Bronte waited patiently, for when Nell was ready, to talk.

"It's usually only Callen who finds me down here." Nell finally said. She moved slightly, to get more comfortable. "He didn't tell you, did he?" She had supposed Callen would have filled in Bronte, with regards to her kidnapping by Pavlo. The fact she had said nothing, brought the realisation he had kept that from her.

"Tell me what?" Bronte had no idea why the younger woman was upset and ran out of the OPS Centre like she had.

"About what Pavlo did, the last time he was in town." Nell saw confusion on Bronte's face, which confirmed her conclusion.

"No. All he said was it jutted into an old case. What happened Nell, to have you react this way?" Bronte studied Nell closely, as she saw fear and shame in her eyes.

"He kidnapped me." Nell began. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Tortured and raped me." She whispered the last bit. She gasped for some air, as her emotions took over.

"Nell!" She looked up and saw Callen standing by the doorway. "You don't need to tell anyone." He moved a little closer to them, but kept his distance still.

"What is going on here?" Bronte was confused and shocked about Nell's revelation.

"Molly Hobson isn't the only victim of Pavlo's." Callen stated quietly. "None of the team know what went on when he had kidnapped Nell." Anger rippled through his body, at the memory. "I would prefer it was kept that way."

Bronte looked from Callen to Nell. She suddenly realised that he was being protective of the younger woman. She stood, realising her error of judgement. "I'm sorry, I had no idea there was something between the two of you." She stated. She was hurt and quickly walked out of the shower room.

Nell looked over at Callen. "Why didn't you stop her? She now thinks there's something between us."

Callen sat down next to Nell. "She's still grieving over her loss, Nell. She's not ready to love again. I..."

"You're an idiot sometimes G." Nell berated him. "She's the best thing to come into your life and you're just going to throw it away?" Nell stood. If Callen was too stubborn to explain the situation further to Bronte, then she would.

"Nell!" He stood and grabbed her arm. "I need to know you are ok!"

Nell understood what he was referring to. She nodded. "I will be, now he's dead." Callen watched Nell leave the room. He was relieved she was going to be ok. He had taken on the burden of her safety and well being too much.

Nell understood why he did. It wasn't just with her. He did it with all of them. When situations arose and he saw the need to protect them. But she felt the need to explain it to Bronte. When she came out of the gym, she saw Bronte packing up her things to leave for the day. "Bronte." She spoke quietly, Bronte nearly didn't hear her.

When Bronte looked up, she saw Nell standing on the other side of the desk.

"Can we talk please?" Nell asked her.

Bronte shook her head. "There is nothing to talk about." She picked up her bag to leave.

"Yes there is. You've misunderstood it all. Callen and I have never been together." Nell blurted it out, hoping to get through to her.

Bronte raised her brow. "It would be none of my business if there was." She replied. Nell could see she was hurt.

"I'm already in a relationship with Eric." Nell admitted.

Bronte frowned. "Eric?" She wasn't expecting to hear that. Nell nodded. "Then what happened in the shower room?" She was confused by Callen's sudden withdrawal from her.

"Callen was the one who rescued me from Pavlo. Only he knows what state I was in when he found me. He's not spoken to anyone about what Pavlo had done to me. Not even to Sam or Hetty. Because he kept a promise to me, that he wouldn't." Nell looked around to ensure no one could hear her. She moved closer to Bronte. "Callen is protective of everyone in the team. Even of you. Give it time and you will see it too. When a case hits close to home for anyone of us, Callen will sit outside our homes in his car all night, to ensure we are ok. He has this huge heart of gold. He takes on his responsibility of everyone on the team heavily on his shoulders. It's like he's trying to prove his own worth."

"Prove his own worth?" She was surprised to think he thought he wasn't worth anything to anyone.

"From his years being moved between thirty-seven Foster Homes." Nell explained. "He told me about you, yesterday." Nell continued talking quietly about her team leader. "He loves you. If he pulls away, it's because he's scared. Scared you will leave him. It's rare for him to trust anyone so quickly, yet he's fallen in love with you before he could see it himself."

"I'm not going to leave him!" Bronte declared. She worried, he thought she would.

"But you're only here for a month." Nell reminded her.

"I was going to ask for a permanent transfer to the LA office." Bronte admitted. "Max and I need a change of scenery from New York. We need a fresh start. Coming here and meeting Callen has made me realise that."

"Then tell him. He thinks you're still grieving from losing your husband and daughter, so you're not ready to love again." Nell sighed.

"It's true. I am still grieving. It takes a long time to get over losing what I've lost. But Callen...he gave me comfort, where I never expected to find it. He made me feel alive and happy again. Really happy." Bronte looked up and saw Callen enter the bull pen. "Thanks Nell. I'm really sorry about what Pavlo did to you." Nell saw the same softness as Hetty's in her eyes.

"Thanks Bronte." Nell replied. She climbed the stairs to leave Bronte to handle Callen. They all understood how stubborn Callen could be. Something Bronte will have to learn about, herself.

Bronte was about to walk over to Callen, to speak with him, when her cell rang. "Père!" She greeted her Father.

"Are you coming home to take me to the airport?" He asked her. He worried he had ruined his relationship with her last night.

"Oui, Père. I am just about to leave. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." She hung up her phone. She sighed. Dealing with Callen will have to wait, she realised.

Callen watched Bronte exit the building without saying goodbye. He sat down in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. 'How had something so good and felt so right, turn so horribly wrong?' It came back to Gibbs' rule number twelve: Never date a co-worker. Then there was his own rule: never date a woman with her own handcuffs. Tracey had ruined that for him. But Bronte was not Tracey. In fact, Callen had never met a woman like Bronte. She had effected him, more than he ever thought another person could with him. He didn't know what to do. 'I'll go for a run.' He decided. He hoped he had a solution to his problem after his run.

**NCIS**

Callen showered all the sweat from his body, after his run. He looked over at his takeaway menus, but threw them down. He was fed up with eating on his own. He pulled a beer out of the fridge and walked out the back, onto the deck. He sat on his sun chair and watched the sun set. It was getting late and his stomach growled. He wished he was better prepared and had some steak in the fridge, to cook on the bbq. He thought back to the mouth watering food Philipe had prepared at Hetty's. It made his stomach growl even more. He wished there was a restaurant with a cordon bleu chef, that made home deliveries. He picked up his keys to head out the door. As he opened his front door, he almost bumped into Bronte. Surprised she had driven over to his place, he was speechless.

"I'm sorry." Bronte blurted out. "It seems I've come to the wrong conclusion about you and Nell." She felt awkward standing out the front of his house, having this conversation. "I just don't understand why you've built walls up, and are avoiding me." She looked up and saw he was trying to hide all his emotions. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw hurt. He looked lost. She realised. Like Max was after Greg and Carrie had been killed.

Callen remained silent. He was surprised she had come to his home. Something shifted inside of him. Something he hadn't felt before, which frightened him. He realised he loved her. He yearned to kiss her, but he kept his distance. He needed of get his head around it all. It was hard for him to give another person all of himself. For so long, he had kept the real him hidden, for protection. Everyone he loved, eventually left. And he knew she was going to leave at the end of the month..

"Are you not going to say anything?" Bronte asked him. She had thought he would at least say something. She became frustrated with him. "And I thought we could give us a go. But if you're just going to continue to behave like this, then I'll forget about asking for a permanent transfer to LA." She turned to leave.

When her words had sunk into Callen's brain, he realised what she had said. He saw her unlocking her car. He had no idea how he got from his front door to her car. But he did, just before she hopped in. All he knew was his lips were on hers, in a deep passionate kiss.

Bronte was shocked to find Callen kissing her. She resisted him at first, but relented. Her heart surrendered. How long had she wanted him to kiss her like this? It was unlike his other kisses. This one was with a desperate need.

Callen pulled away. "I'm sorry. I've never been good with expressing how I feel."

Bronte studied him. "Well I have to say that kiss was a pretty good start." She smiled at him. But he looked so serious.

Callen brushed her hair away which the gentle wind had swept across her face. "You're so beautiful Bron. I don't know what it is about you...how you've managed to pull my walls down so fast." Callen looked deeply into her eyes. Bronte shivered. She felt exposed to him, like he was looking into her soul. Those vivid blue eyes, she could get lost in them forever, and not care.

Bronte responded by reaching up and gently touching her lips with his. "I'll stay if you want me to?" She put herself out there for him.

"You'll move to LA for me?" He was surprised she would do that for him. "What about Max and your in laws?"

"We need a change of scenery, as there is too much painful memories in New York. It'll be a fresh start for us. I've already asked Greg's parents if they'd move. They said yes." Her smile reached her eyes.

Callen pulled her in closer and kissed her again. "Are you ready for us?" He asked her, serious again. He needed to know whether she was or not.

"Yes." She answered him. She snuggled into his chest. He felt warm and safe. Callen wrapped his arms around her. His stomach growled again. Bronte laughed. "Someone's hungry." She stated.

"Yes. And not just for food." His eyes sparkled again when he smiled. Man she had missed his sparkle over the past couple of days.

_Love to know what you think. Please review._


	9. Chapter 9

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 9**

Callen drove him and Bronte to a diner, that was famous for its steaks. It looked over the beach, which made him feel safe. It was strange how he always felt safe at the beach, considering where his own Mom had been killed. But it provided him with the chance to blend in with all the activity around him and relax. Watching the waves had a way of soothing his soul over the years, which he had appreciated.

They sat opposite each other in a booth, by the window. The sun was still peeping over the horizon, emitting a blazing orange glow, just before the darkness took over.

"So how good are their steaks?" Bronte asked him, with a smile on her face. On the drive over, Callen had bragged about this diner's steaks.

"The best." He returned her smile, with one of his own. A calmness had returned to him, after he and Bronte had resolved their misunderstanding.

"Well if you say so...but I have been living in New York for many years now...and they are well known for their steaks too." It was a challenge, she knew, that she had put forward to him.

Callen raised his eyebrows in response to her comment. "You'll just have to try it to decide for yourself." He replied. Just thinking of their steaks made his stomach growl again.

Bronte laughed as she heard his stomach. "Okay! I get it."

They ordered and the conversation became silent as they tucked into their steaks. Callen watched Bronte closely, as she cut the first piece off her steak and placed it inside of her mouth. Her eyes lit up with enjoyment and he could hear her succumb to the mouth watering taste of the famous steaks.

"Oh, G! This is really good." She quickly took another bite and amused Callen, who was also filling his belly with the delicious food.

Both groaned from over eating as their bellies filled from their very large steak and side salad. "Are you up for a walk Bron!" Callen asked her.

"More like a waddle. But yeah! Anything that will make my belly stop hurting so much." Callen had challenged her to eat everything on her plate. It was three times the size of a meal she would normally have eaten. She had taken up the challenge, but now regretted it.

After Callen had paid their check, he led her outside onto the path by the beach. The air had cooled a little, since the sun had gone down, so he took his leather jacket off his back and placed it over Bronte's shoulders. She turned and kissed him on the lips, with thanks for his kind gesture.

Bronte had missed this. The moment of being with that someone special and lost with each other, forgetting the world around them. So much of their jobs had taken this away from them, always making sure they were aware of their surroundings at all time. But with Callen she felt relaxed and leant into him as they walked along the path.

Bronte stopped and looked up at the stars, which sparkled in the dark velvet night sky. Callen took this opportunity to capture her neck with his lips, causing a moan from Bronte as he did.

"G!" Bronte lowered her face and looked into his eyes. "Thanks."

Callen raised his brow in question.

"For the dinner, and this time together. I really needed it."

"You're welcome Bron." He held her close and they stood like that for who knows how long, savouring the quietness of the night and the moment of it just being them.

Callen led her back to the car and took her home.

"We're not going back to your place?" Bronte had hoped he would take her back to his place. Her Mom's house was empty, now her Father had returned home to Tofino.

"No. I don't have a bed for you to sleep on." He admitted.

"What! No bed?" Bronte was shocked by his admission. "But what do you sleep on? And where did Gibbs sleep?"

Callen laughed. "I have a bedroll. I've moved around so much, I've never the need for furniture. Gibbs slept on the couch. He's used to ruffing it. But I can't expect you to ruff it, especially with that bullet graze you got yesterday."

His thoughtfulness amazed her. Nell had told her what a huge heart of gold he had, and how much he would do for any of them. "Thanks, G. Nell was right about you."

Callen turned and looked at her. "What did Nell tell you about me?" He was intrigued what others said about him.

"Hmmm!" Was all Bronte would answer.

They had arrived at her Mother's home, so she stepped out of the car and walked over to the front door, ready to unlock it. She felt hands on her, forcing her to turn around. Callen pushed her up against the door. "Is that all you are going to say?"

"Hmmm!" Bronte laughed as he tickled her, trying to get more out of her.

Without her realising, Callen had taken the keys out of her hand and unlocked the door. He opened it and picked her up in his arms. "G!" She squealed. She was glad her Father and Mother weren't there to see them like this.

Callen didn't let go. He locked the door behind him and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. As he opened the door, he hesitated and dropped Bronte back on her feet. Photos of Greg, Carrie and Max laid on her bed. Seeing them again winded him. "I'm sorry Bron." He took a step back and ran down the stairs.

This time Bronte was not going to let him go. She chased after him and met him by the front door. "G, wait." She positioned herself against the door, so he could not leave.

"They are very much a part of me. I can't forget them just because I have feelings for you. If you want to be with me, you need to accept them as part of me." She studied his face and saw him try to hide his emotions.

"I'm sorry Bron. So sorry for all you have lost." Seeing their photos made what she had been through over the past year, become a reality. He knew what it was like to lose his Mother and sister. He never wanted anyone else to go through that pain. He had worked so hard to push his own pain to the back of his mind, so he didn't have to deal with it. The truth was, he didn't know how to.

Bronte saw tears escape Callen's eyes. She realised it wasn't just about what she had lost, but what he had lost too. "Oh G! It's okay. We will get through this together." She pulled him closer and hugged him tight, afraid that if she let go, he would bolt. To her relief he didn't. She led him back upstairs and sat him on the side of the bed. She sat beside him and held the photos of her family in her hands. "It's taken me until now to be able to look at these photos." She admitted.

He understood how hard this was for her. To be able to share their memories with him. But she did, anyway. He held her hands gently in his, as she held onto the photos. He rubbed her hands with his thumb, to comfort her. "You don't have to do this you know." He tried to give her an opportunity to change her mind. It was a big risk, for the both of them. Neither could deal with the fallout, if the relationship they were heading into, didn't work. But they both knew, they were too late, for either of them to pull out now. They were in too deep, with their hearts already.

"I need to do this G. For myself and for us." She took the first family photo and held it up for him to see. "This was the last family photo taken of the four of us. Max had just had his seventh birthday. We had given him a StarWars themed party and Greg had dressed up as Darth Vader. Carrie had gone as Princess Leia and Max as Luke Skywalker." She touched her precious family, tracing Greg and Carrie's faces with her finger.

"Who did you go dressed up as?" He could see the emotion of the memory overwhelm her.

"Padme! Ironic really. The four of us dressed up as the Skywalker family. Torn apart by evil..." Bronte couldn't finish, as she broke down in tears.

Callen pulled her closer and carefully took the photos and placed them on the side table. He held her close and kissed her on the top of her head. "You would have made a beautiful Padme." He whispered to her.

Bronte was choked with tears as she gave a small laugh to his comment. "You haven't seen the photo of me as Padme. I looked hilarious. What we do for our children." The thought of no longer being able to dress up for Carrie's birthdays anymore was too much for her.

Callen pulled her onto the bed and laid beside her, as he comforted her through the grief, she was now pouring out. She had held on and tried hard to rebuild their lives without Greg and Carrie, but now she realised, she had only put her grieving on hold.

**NCIS**

The sunlight woke Callen from his sleep. He suddenly realised he had slept through, still holding Bronte in his arms. She was peaceful as she slept, with no more crying. He looked at his watch and realised it was eight o'clock.

"Bronte. Time to get up. We'll be late for work." He moved his hands up and down her arms, trying to bring her back to consciousness. The emotion of their case had laid heavily on her and Nell. He was glad Sam had ended that monster's life and now Molly and Daniel Hobson, could return to their home to move on with their lives. But after seeing how hard it was on Bronte, he wondered if that was even possible for them.

Bronte mumbled as she gathered her thoughts and took in where she was, and who she was with. She rolled over and saw crystal blue eyes watching her. "Hi!" A smile edged her mouth as she took in her companion.

"Hi!" Callen brushed the loose hair away from her face and took in her features. "How do you feel today?"

"Hmmm!" She replied. Not sure how she felt.

"Really?" He smirked as he knew where this was leading. She had replied the same to him the night before, over what Nell had said about him to her. "How about now?" Callen tickled Bronte until she could no longer squeal from the effects he was having on her.

"Okay! Okay! I surrender." She laughed as she said it.

Callen captured her lips firmly with a kiss. "But we've got to move it, or we'll be late for work."

Bronte looked at the clock and freaked. "Shoot! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did, but you were lights out." They quickly showered and dressed and ran out to the car.

Callen's phone rang, and saw it was Sam. "G! Where are you? I'm outside your place, but you're not here."

"I'm in my car with Bronte. Sorry, we slept in. We're on our way on to the office. Meet you there?" He felt bad he had Sam come by his place, only to find he wasn't there.

A smile formed on the former Navy SEAL's face, as he realised where his partner had spent the night. "Yeah sure. See you soon." Sam chuckled as he started his engine and drove into work. "About time too G." He said out loud to himself as he drove. He put the jazz station on and sang to the music he loved.

**NCIS**

It was a little after nine, when Callen and Bronte pulled up outside of the mission. They quickly walked inside, and saw the junior members of their team already there.

Deeks and Kensi raised their eyebrows and smirked as they saw a flustered Callen and Bronte enter. "Looks like someone had too much of a good night last night." The detective chirped.

"Keep your mouth shut Deeks." Callen chided. "You have no idea what happened. Best you keep your detective work to work related cases." Callen wanted to protect Bronte from Deeks' comment, who obviously thought something more had happened than actually did.

Kensi gave her partner a frowned look. "Good one." She mouthed over to him. It was one thing to tease Callen, but this involved Bronte as well, who had been through an awful lot recently.

They returned to their paperwork as Sam arrived. "Morning Sam." Callen looked over and saw he had a box in his hand. He stood and walked over. "Smells like.." He looked up at the big guy and saw a smile on his face. "Donuts." A smile formed on the team leader's face. "It's unlike you Sam to buy donuts. What's the occasion?"

Sam had watched his partner's reaction to the box he held in his hand. He and Kensi were terrible when something with sugar was involved. "Happy Birthday G."

"But it's not my birthday. You know that." Callen puzzled over his partner's words. "Sam!" He twigged what his partner was celebrating. Him hooking up with Bronte, but didn't want to actually say it.

Sam chuckled. "Like I said. Happy Birthday, G." He handed the donuts over to his partner and watched him take them over to Bronte. He knew they would have missed breakfast from the reaction Callen had when he called him earlier. It was the least he could do for him. Always ensuring he had his partner's back.

"What's going on?" Kensi quietly asked Sam as she watched Callen walk over to Bronte.

"They slept in." He replied. "So I brought them donuts, to celebrate."

"But I thought Callen doesn't sleep." Kensi was confused.

"But he did, with her." Sam nodded in the direction of his partner and their fill-in Operations Manager.

"Oh!" As the realisation hit Kensi. "Deeks, you were right."

Deeks joined the other two leaning on Sam's desk. "Right about what?"

"About those two. Sam said they slept in." Kensi whispered to her partner.

"I knew it. But why did Callen snap at me like that?" Deeks asked in return.

"He's being protective of her." Sam replied. He was happy for his partner, hence why he bought them breakfast.

"It's sweet to see him like this with someone. When we saw him with her after the shooting, he was like this with her then. It's really nice to see him let down his defences with her." Kensi added.

"What did you see?" Deeks inquired. He hadn't been out with Sam and Kensi when Callen and Bronte had taken the gunmen down at the pier.

"Callen was being protective of her and kissed her in public." Kensi told him.

"Wow, that's huge for Callen." Deeks watched their team leader sit on the edge of Hetty's desk chatting and eating donuts with Bronte. They could hear laughter from them. It was a nice change. He looked over at his own partner, and wondered if they would ever be like that together.

Kensi felt her partner's eyes on her. She looked over at him and saw him thinking. He caught her gaze and held it longer than he had thought possible, until Eric shattered the peace with the ear piercing whistle.

"We have a new case guys." The three of them looked up at their Technical Operator and nodded. Slowly they headed up the stairs. Callen and Bronte followed.

The agents entered through the sliding doors and looked to Eric and Nell to brief them. Callen's body tensed as he saw the picture of the dead body on the large screen. Bronte creased her brow as she saw him react to the victim.

"You know the victim G?" Bronte asked him. Callen swung around and felt all the blood drain from his head. "Are you okay?" He tried to tell her, but his voice just wouldn't work.

Sam notice the victim and walked over towards his partner. "G? Are you okay?" He looked over to Eric and Nell. "What happened to him?"

"His body was found outside the restaurant where he worked. The Coroner's findings said he died of three bullet wounds to his chest." Nell answered. It seemed Eric had also lost his voice. Something about this case had some of the team react in a way that shouldn't.

"What about his wife, and the boy?" Sam asked. He knew he needed to ask these questions for his partner. Although she had said the boy wasn't his son, they both knew he was.

"We have no record of him ever getting married." Callen turned back confused by this information. "There was a fiancé, but she kicked him out when she found out he had a juvenile record."

Callen had been right. Kristin wouldn't marry a man with a record. She'd had enough of being let down. He should know, as he was one of them.

"Who is this man?" Bronte wanted to know.

"Tommy Boyd. We dealt with him a few years ago, when some petty officers were killed just after being released from jail."

Deeks looked over at his partner and noticed she had remained quiet as well. "Kensi, are you okay?"

Kensi shrugged. The case had a personal effect on her. The killer had tried to climb into her heart with flowers, only to hold her at gun point.

Deeks looked over at Sam for answers. "This obviously is from before Nell and I came along. So for the benefit of us and Bronte, can we please be filled into the last time Tommy Boyd was involved in a case?"

Sam looked over at his partner and saw him nod. Callen exited the OPS centre and grabbed his keys. He needed to know Kristin and Michael were both okay.

Bronte watched Callen leave. She knew this case had hit a nerve with him, so she was glad Deeks had asked to be filled in. She worried over his reaction.

Sam asked Eric to fill them all in, as he followed his partner out. He knew his partner well enough, that if he didn't follow, Callen would go lone wolf and look for Kristin and Michael on his own.

_Just when things were looking up for Callen and Bronte, someone from Callen's past has reentered a case again. Love to know your thoughts. Please review._


	10. Chapter 10

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

_I wasn't going to update so soon, but it's amazing what happens when my head space enters a story. This is what comes out. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 10**

As Callen jumped into his car, Sam quickly jumped in beside him. "Sam!" Callen looked over at his partner. He had hoped to go alone.

"I'm coming with you G." Sam gave him the 'do not argue with me' look.

Callen sighed and started the engine. The conversation was non existent between the two men as Callen drove madly to Kristin's house. Sam held his tongue, knowing the worry that must be going through his partner's mind at that moment. As they pulled up outside, they noticed a black SUV parked across the road.

"They're being watched G." Sam stated.

Concern crossed Callen's face as Sam rang Eric with the vehicle's detail. He climbed out of the car and walked up the path to the front door. He rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. He noticed a neighbor watching him, so he walked over to speak with them.

"Hi. I'm an old friend of Kristin's. Do you know where I can find her? It's really important."

The woman studied Callen. "You're Michael's Father, aren't you? He sure does look like you."

Having the neighbor say those words hit Callen hard. Kristin had told him he wasn't the boy's Father, so he had left them alone. He thought they were probably safer and happier without him anyway. "Please, I need to get in touch with Kristin urgently."

"She works down the road at the local Childcare Centre." She told him the address.

"Thank you. If those men in that black SUV ask for anything, tell them nothing. It's really important that you don't." She could see the worry in his eyes.

"Okay." She watched him run back to his car and sped off. She suddenly felt the eyes of the occupants from the black SUV were now on her, so she walked back inside and locked her doors. She rang her husband to tell him she didn't feel safe and that she had locked herself inside their house.

"Go down into the basement." He urged her as he dialled LAPD on his office phone. "Do it now Shelly."

"I'm going." Shelly Bishop quickly locked the basement door and hid down in one of the corners behind an old trunk. She could hear someone banging upstairs and started to tremble from fear of what those men wanted. The boy's Father seemed worried about their neighbors and she wondered who he was and how he knew something was wrong. She hoped he found Kristin quickly and took her and the boy to somewhere safe.

"Hello. Mrs Bishop. We want to ask you a few questions about your neighbor, Kristin Donnelly." Shelly was glad she had hidden down in the basement.

A gunshot rang out and the front door to the Bishop's home splintered and opened from a kick by one of the men from the black SUV. They scoured the home and were surprised they couldn't find her anywhere. "Do you think she fled out back? She looked worried after talking to that guy in the jag." One of them asked the other.

"It's possible. Boss is not going to be happy if we lose her. She can help us find the woman and her son." Sirens could be heard coming closer to their location. "We've got to move. She's rung the cops."

Shelly sighed with relief when she heard the men leave and the sirens getting louder. She texted her husband to tell him the men had kicked in the door and were in the house looking for her until they heard the sirens. She had heard their conversation from down below and worried over her neighbor. They had become good friends over the years, and had helped Kristin out taking care of Michael after she had kicked her fiancé out a few years ago. Something about him having a criminal record that she knew nothing about. She didn't want anyone like him around her boy. She had also told her the boy's real Father had suddenly showed up after six years of nothing. So she had told him Michael wasn't his, just to get rid of him. But Michael's Father had returned when Kristin seemed to be in some kind of trouble.

She appeared from the basement once she heard LAPD arrive. She gave them a report of what had happened and that she thinks her neighbor was in trouble. They talked about sending a unit over to Kristin's work place and the boy's school to ensure they were safe.

**NCIS**

Callen and Sam pulled up outside Kristin's work. Sam stayed in the car while he went in to find her.

"Hello, can I help you?" The woman behind the front desk asked him.

"Hi. Yes, well I hope so. I'm looking for Kristin Donnelly." Callen replied. The urgency in finding her safe laid heavily on his shoulders.

"Jason?" Kristin's appeared from the office. "What are you doing here?"

He was relieved that he had found her safe. He noticed her name tag, with Director written on it. When he had been undercover as Jason Tedrow, she had worked at a school as a Kindergarten Teacher. "I need to talk with you. It's urgent."

Kristin saw the worry in his eyes. Her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was her neighbor. "Hello?"

Callen watched Kristin speak on her phone, as she showed him into her office. He saw her frown and look him in the eyes. "He's here now. No I have no idea what is going on. Is Shelly okay?"

Relief washed over her face as she heard Harry Bishop tell her that Shelly was fine.

"Thank you Harry. I will keep you posted when I know what's going on. It's probably safest if you find somewhere else for a few days."

When Kristin disconnected the call, she stood and paced the room. "You better have a damn good reason why my neighbor is freaking out from some men who broke into their house just now."

"Kristin! I need you to listen to me. Call the school. Tell them you are coming to pick up Michael. No one else. It's not safe for anyone else to pick Michael up." He stood and walked over to her. "Please!"

Kristin nodded. She quickly dialled the school's number and told them to ensure that no one came to collect her son, but her. Her hands shook, as worry consumed her.

"We need to leave now." Callen stressed.

"You need to tell me what's going on. The last time you appeared on my doorstep, I lost my brother." She stood strong opposing him.

"I will, once you and Michael are safe." Callen placed his hand on her arm, but she moved away from him. She collected her bag and keys, before walking out the door.

"Beth, I have to go. There's been a family emergency. If anyone comes in looking for me, tell them you haven't seen me today, and that I'm away on a course." Beth, the receptionist nodded.

Callen grabbed her keys as they walked out to the car. "I'm driving." He told her. He nodded to Sam to follow in his jag.

It was only a five minute drive to the school Michael attended. Callen walked with Kristin to the office and waited as she collected her son from his class. The boy looked up at his Mom, when he saw Callen in the office foyer. "It's okay Michael. You've met him before. He's here to take us somewhere safe."

Michael nodded but kept his eye on Callen, just the same.

They climbed into Kristin's car and drove away. Callen drove around the streets to ensure no one was following them, before he took them to the boat shed. He scanned the area before allowing them out of the car. As Callen stepped out, he saw Sam approach from the north. "It's clear." He told Kristin and Michael. They stood beside Callen as they watched Sam approach. "Kristin. This is my partner, Agent Sam Hanna, NCIS. Sam, this is Kristin and Michael Donnelly."

"You're a Federal Agent?" She knew he had tried to tell her his real name, but she had stopped him. "What is NCIS?" She gently pulled Michael closer to her.

Callen and Sam led them along the path, to the boat shed. Sam punched in the security code and unlocked the door. He held the door open for them, as they walked inside.

"Can I get either of you two a drink?" Callen asked them. He tried to remain professional in his dealings with them.

In OPS, Eric, Nell and Bronte watched the camera feed from the boat shed. Since Eric had briefed them on the previous case involving Callen as Jason Tedrow, Bronte had worried how this case was effecting Callen. She gasped when she saw the boy. He looked so much like Callen, it floored her. 'Just how much did Callen get involved with this Kristin?' Bronte thought.

"You promised to tell me what is going on Jason." She still hadn't wanted to ask his real name. Jason was the name she knew him as, so that was the name she was going to use.

"Okay. But not in here. Best if we have a private chat. Sam can look after Michael out here." He led her through to one of the interview rooms.

Kristin sat down on the opposite side of the table to Callen. "Is this where you interrogate suspects?" She inquired.

"Yes. But we also have people like you in here. Innocent people, who we want to protect." Callen answered her truthfully.

"Oh so like we matter to you now?" Kristin was angry with him. Even after all of these years.

"Kristin. Please. You need to calm down." Callen took in a deep breath, before he continued. He needed to stay calm, for all of their benefit. "Tommy's body was found behind the restaurant he worked at, in the early hours of this morning. I'm sorry."

"What?" She stood, clearly upset the man she had been engaged to, was now dead.

"Kristin, please sit down." He urged her.

"Why are you involved in this case? And what is NCIS?" Kristin demanded from him.

"His name popped up from a previous case of ours, hence why we've taken over the investigation. NCIS stands for Navy Criminal Investigation Service. We investigate crimes committed by and against members of the Navy and Marine Corp, as well as terrorist threats to this nation. When we met, I was undercover to solve what happened to a lot of stolen money. I'm sorry Kristin, about John. I know he was your brother, but he was involved in that case, so he had to do his time. But he didn't deserve to die." Callen tried to apologise to her.

"Why Tommy? How did he get involved in your case?" She asked him, more gently this time. The shock of hearing about his death, had subsided a little.

"We had no idea who was killing John's team, once they were released from jail. We had to do some back checking on him. The man behind it all, had asked Tommy to get close to you. Tommy never expected to fall in love with you. But he did." Callen saw tears form in her eyes. It hurt him that she had loved Tommy more than she had him. But then again, Jason was a ghost.

"I threw him out, after I found out he had a criminal record. I've had enough of bad boys, after you Jason. But you're not really a bad boy are you? Just good at pretending to be one." Kristin hugged herself, suddenly feeling cold. Callen exited the room and returned with a blanket. "Thanks." She wrapped it around her body and began to feel warm again.

"We need to know who the men in the black SUV are. The ones who broke down your neighbor's front door." Callen had received all the details from Deeks, a few minutes earlier.

"I don't know. Do you think Tommy's death and these men are connected?"  
Kristin hadn't seen Tommy for a few years, so she couldn't see why she and Michael would be in danger.

"Yes!" Callen answered simply. "I need to ask you about Michael's Father..."

"What? Is this a ploy to get me to spill out all the details to you?" Kristin rose to her feet again. She couldn't deal with Jason's games, not now.

"You told me Michael was not my son, three years ago. So I have left you both alone. But we need to cover all angles as to why and who are after you Kristin." He stood and walked over to her.

The door opened and in walked Bronte. She could feel the tension in the room.

"Not now Bronte." Callen quietly told her.

"I need to speak with you, please." Bronte pleaded with him.

Callen sighed and exited the room, leaving Kristin all alone. "We are wasting time here. We need answers to who is after them and why. This better be important." He was in agent mode with her.

"I need to know are you too close to is case?" Bronte studied his eyes, and she could see he was trying hard to hold it all together. "Eric wouldn't tell me anything."

Callen pulled her into the other interrogation room for privacy. Callen paced the room wondering where to start. "About ten years ago, I went undercover as Jason Tedrow, to befriend some men who were suspected of stealing a lot of money. I got close to Kristin to get to her brother John, who was one of them. I never expected to develop feelings for her. But when the case was over, I walked away, never to see her again. That was the plan. Until one of the men I had put away contacted my alias, to find out where the money had gone to. But before I even knew about the email, he was gunned down. It turned out to be one of the men's JAG Lawyer. We killed him, when he held Kensi at gun point, after he had managed to kill all the men who had stolen the money. He was looking for Jason Tedrow. He had asked for Tommy Boyd to get close to Kristin, after I had left. When I showed up on her doorstep three years ago, she had a boy, Michael. He was the right age for him to be my son. But she told me he wasn't my son. So I did the right thing and walked away."

Bronte watched Callen's behaviour, as he talked about Kristin. She could see it had hurt him, when she had told him that Michael was not his son. "Are of sure she told you the truth? Michael looks so much like you." Gently she placed her hand on his arm.

Callen looked up at Bronte, he looked lost. Like he did back when he was sixteen, on the beach. "G! Ask her again. It could be someone after you, which is why you need to ask her."

Callen nodded. He left Bronte and walked back out to the main area for a glass of water. He looked over at his partner playing a card game with Michael. When the boy looked over at him, his heart broke. He remembered looking just like him, at that age. How could he have accepted Kristin's words three years ago. Even the neighbor thought he was his Father. He took a deep breath and walked back into the room where Kristin was.

"Is Michael my son?" He asked quietly. He was unsure of himself around her. He had hurt her so deeply.

"I don't know." Tears poured down Kristin's face as she hugged herself. She stood in the corner of the room, on the opposite side to the door. "There was someone else, just before I met you. Either of you could be his Father."

Callen gulped down the emotion that was pushing itself to the surface. He needed to remain cool. "Why didn't you allow me to do a paternity test to see if he was my son? Don't I have the right to know?"

"Because you had hurt me. You left me when I needed you. You didn't deserve to know that he could possibly be your son." Her body shook as she cried and slipped down to the floor.

Callen remained silent, as he processed her words. Bronte was right and was so much like her Mother.

"I'm sorry!" Callen finally blurted out. "For leaving you like that. But I had a job to do...the man you thought I was, didn't exist. Hell, I don't exist."

Kristin looked up at him as he said those words. She tilted her head and frowned as she tried to understand what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"My team and I, we use aliases all the time. Our real identities are unknown, for our protection, and that of our families." He explained.

"So are you telling me, that you have a family somewhere else, and that is why you couldn't stay with me?" She felt betrayed by the man she had once loved.

"No. I don't. I lost my Mom when I was five. She was gunned down in front of me, on a beach in Romania. My sister and I were brought to America, but we were separated. She drowned when she was eleven. I have lived my life alone. Moved about between thrifty-seven foster homes. I don't even know what family life is. The closest time I ever had that, was for three months, when I was fourteen. I never thought I could ever have the family life. Until I became Jason Tedrow. I don't even know my real name. All I have is a letter."

Bronte watched on the screen in the main area. She had suggested Sam take Michael into the other room, so she could watched the feed from Callen and Kristin. Hearing Callen's words, although she had always known about his life, it still broke a piece off her heart. She could tell it still haunted him, the life no one should ever experience. Yet here he was, a man in his early forties, working hard to protect the people who have become a family to him and the innocents. Yet, he still hadn't managed to heal from his own ordeal. It was like he was trying to prove his own worth. And that made it all the harder. Bronte knew at that moment, she needed to prove to Callen, that he was worth it. Worth being loved and to feel important. She wished she could find out his name at least for him. She would have to speak with her Mom on that later.

"You don't even know your name?" Kristin was surprised.

Callen shook his head.

"So what do people call you?" She showed an interest in him now. His story had pulled at her heart strings.

"Those close to me, either call me G, or Callen. Callen is my family name. Well my Mother's anyway. I have no idea who my Father is. All I know is that my name starts with the letter G. But that's all."

"Wow. That is some story." Kristin had calmed down a little. "I'm sorry too. For lying to you. I had no idea that you were an agent. You played Jason so well. So what do we do now?"

"We need the name of the man who could possibly be Michael's Father. At least allow me to do the paternity test, so we know for sure! We will then organise for you both to be relocated and placed under a witness protection program, while we find out who is after you." Callen advised her.

"No!" Kristin was adamant. "Use me to flush them out. You can keep Michael safe. But I will not be relocated. We have our life here. Michael can get to know you..."

"I can't authorise for you to do that Kristin. You're not an agent. It's too risky." Callen replied. There was no way he was going to place Kristin's life in danger.

"Actually she has a point G." Callen turned and saw Bronte standing in the doorway. "We have no idea who they are. Eric has searched on the vehicle, but it was reported stolen two days ago. He has placed the images of the men's faces from the photos Sam took, into a facial recognition programme. So far there has been no hit."

"No, Bronte, we can't. She's not equipped to protect herself." Bronte saw worry briefly cross his face. She was beginning to understand the man before her more. Always the protector. Nell's words rang in her ears, from the day before.

"Miss Donnelly has volunteered." Callen glared at her and exited the room. He didn't like being opposed by her. She had the guts like her Mother, to go up against him. Just like Hunter did. Just like Hetty does, all the time. He understood now, why Hetty had Hunter and now Bronte fill in for her. They were the only ones who could oppose him, well except for Granger, that is. He stood in front of the screen and watched Bronte speak with Kristin. Seeing them together tore at him. The woman who he had once loved and now has admitted, possibly had a child with, and the woman he now was falling deeply in love with. Hell, Bronte had already done that do to him all those years ago, when he was sixteen. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to him. He was a loner, who had lost too much already. Could he possibly have a chance of having a family of his own? As he thought over the possibility, Deeks and Kensi entered the Boat Shed.

"Why is Bronte inside with Kristin?" Kensi asked Callen. She was concerned for her friend and team leader.

"Because Bronte wants Kristin to flush these men who killed Tommy Boyd out." Callen stated, clearly opposed to the idea.

"But you don't!" Kensi added. She could see his frustration and worry over the whole case.

"Hell no!" Callen's body tensed. "She lied to me Kens. She admitted there is a possibility that Michael could be my son."

Deeks eyes widened at the news. This was the first he had heard any of this, about Callen and this Donnelly woman. "Whoa! You have a son?"

"Not sure. But I've asked for a paternity test. I need to know. You know how important having family of my own means to me."

Kensi pulled Callen into a hug. "Yes we do Callen. And we're all here to support you."

"Thanks." Their eyes were pulled back to the screen as Bronte sat opposite Kristin Donnelly at the table.

"Miss Donnelly. We need the name of the other man, who also could be Michael's Father. It's imperative, to help us find out who killed Tommy Boyd, and who was watching your house earlier today." Bronte was gentle in her approach with the other woman.

"Vasile. He had a European accent, but I'm not sure. I don't have a last name." Kristin looked up at the camera. "I'm sorry." She apologised to Callen, hoping he was watching her right then.

He had. His body tensed at the name. It niggled him over who Vasile was. He had heard it before. He watched Bronte's face turn to the camera. The look on her face told him she knew who he was. Bronte returned to face Kristin. "Thank you Miss Donnelly. You have been very helpful. You may join your son in the other room." Bronte led the woman to where Sam and Michael was. Sam saw the worried look on Bronte's face, and wondered what had happened for Bronte to wear that look.

"Who is he?" Callen asked her, as soon as she and Sam walked back out to the main area. He could see the effect that name had on her.

Bronte opened her mouth to answer, but quickly closed it again. He took deep breaths, to regain control over her emotions. "For Kristin to think that either of you could be Michael's Father, he would have to look like Michael. The only Vasile I have come across that meets this criteria, is a Romanian. Vasile Comescu." She looked at Callen's eyes, as realisation hit him.

"I thought we ended them all?" Callen couldn't believe this was happening. The enemy of his family; someone was still alive. He thought he was safe. Shivers ran down his spine.

"He left the beach house to find you four, with Dracul. Alexa Comescu told Lauren to asked Vasile and some men who worked for them to go to that old auto workshop. When you killed Dracul in Hawaii, you left Vasile in charge of the family business. He must believe Michael is his son. I don't think he knows about you G." Bronte admitted. Lauren had told her all that had happened in Romania. Because she was a fellow NCIS agent, she was allowed to tell her all that had happened to save her Mother and Callen from the Comescus. She had met Vasile once when on an undercover stint in Romania. He was blonde with blue eyes, just like Callen. Just thinking about it, made her realise, that they could be related.

"How do you know all about that op?" Deeks asked surprised. As far as he was concerned, that op was done off the books.

"Lauren. She told me about it, because I was so worried about Hetty and Callen. You have to realise Detective Deeks, but for as long as I can remember, my Mom has watched over G. It was very much part of my childhood, as well as Lauren's. That's why she went in as Ilena Vadim. To watch them closely, to ensure there was no threat to G. When she heard they were going after the last of the Callens', she had advised Hetty of the threat."

"I need to get this paternity test done ASAP." Callen stated. He dialled Eric of his cell. "Eric. Who can we ask to come to the boat shed to do a paternity test immediately?"

"Well there's the doctor Hetty trusts." He replied. "Dr Long at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre."

"I know who he is. He patched Bronte up the other day. I'll call him. Thanks Eric." Callen disconnected his call with Eric and dialled a new number.

_Love to hear your thoughts on this story._


	11. Chapter 11

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

_Interesting how Vasile Comescu will be making an appearance in the 100th episode. Any details I have written of Vasile, are my own, nothing to do with Craig Parker, who is to play Vasile. I only read this information today. Funnily enough, he has blue eyes, but his hair is dark. Almost got it right. Who knows how he will look in the episode. We will soon find out :)_

**Chapter 11**

The hours waiting for the DNA results were killing Callen. The desperation he felt, to have a living blood relation was strong indeed for the seasoned agent, who had lived for so long, alone. If Michael was his son, he was now at risk of being killed by Vasile, if he found out the truth. But if Michael wasn't, it meant the boy was a Comescu. It tore at him on the inside. He tried to hide his emotions, but Bronte and Sam could see through his defences. They noticed Callen had kept himself detached from the boy, as if it was just another case. But within, he was fighting a battle. Sam looked over at his partner with concern written over his face. "G! Are you going to be okay working on this case?"

"I can't get my head around this, Sam. How did I end up in a relationship with the same woman as Vasile Comescu? What are the likelihood of that happening?" He and Sam were set away from the others in the boat shed, keeping their voices low.

"You were undercover G. So as far as anyone knows, Jason Tedrow was in a relationship with Kristin after Vasile, not you. They went after Boyd, thinking he was a risk, but Kristin kicked him out a few years ago. Their intel is old G. The Comescus are not strong like they used to be. Whatever the outcome of the DNA test, G, we can keep Michael safe from Vasile.

**NCIS**

Vasile Comescu threw his hired help hard against the brick wall. "What do you mean you've lost track of them?"

"Some guy in a jag stopped by, spoke with the neighbor and sped off. The neighbor quickly went inside, but she must have called the cops, because when we broke inside the house, she was gone, and the sirens were coming closer. So we had to leave."

He held his weapon against the rear of the man's head. "You're useless to me. Now I've got to do this myself." He pulled the trigger and watched the man slump to the floor. He turned to the dead man's companion and shot him in the head. Two bodies laid in pools of blood from Vasile's cold blooded kill shots. He wiped his hands clean on a rag before he left the warehouse. He would have to wait for Kristin to return to her house.

**NCIS**

Callen's cell rang. "Callen."

"We have the DNA results for you Agent Callen. Can you please come by the hospital soon?"

"Okay, will do. Thanks." Callen disconnected the call and looked over to Bronte. "I think it's time we visited your Mom."

Bronte could see Callen was screaming to get out of the boat shed. She turned and whispered to Kensi and Deeks before she left with Callen. "Wait till Callen and I have gone. Then you take Kristin back to her house. Deeks! You go in the car with Kristin, pretend to be her latest boyfriend, and Michael is having a sleepover. If the house is being watched, it will provide your cover. Kensi will head in through the rear of the property, to provide you backup. We need Sam to stay here to look after Michael. We need to ensure Kristin wears a vest. Callen will kill us if anything happens to her." Deeks and Kensi nodded. "We need to do this before Kristin hears the DNA results."

Deeks and Kensi watched her leave with their team leader. They gave each other a worried look, as they thought over the plan one more time. They moved over to Sam and relaid the plan to him.

It made sense to Sam, as he could see how close his partner was to the case. He nodded. "Good plan." They didn't have time to call in other agents to look after Michael or support Deeks and Kensi. He hoped nothing happened to Kristin as well, as he knew how Callen would lose it, if Kristin got hurt, or worse, killed by allowing her to be used as bait. He could see how much Callen did not like the idea as it was. He worried though, how they were going ahead with this plan of Bronte's while Callen was out of the loop. "G is not going to like this, so make it work." They nodded as they pulled Kristin out of the interrogation room to put a vest on her and go through the plan with her.

Kristin turned and gave her son Michael, one last hug and kiss. "I love you Michael. If anything happens to me, Callen will look after you."

"Mom! No! Don't go, please. We're safe here." Michael clung to his Mom, not wanting her to leave him there. He saw the fear in his Mom's eyes and fought hard to fight back the tears that threatened to spill.

"It's okay Michael. Detective Deeks and Agent Blye will take good care of me. Look! They've even given me a vest to protect me from being hurt. I'm just going home for a little while. Be strong for me please!" She hugged him one last time as she left the boat shed with Deeks and Kensi.

Sam rested his hand on the boy's shoulder to reassure him, as he watched his Mom leave with the others. "She's in good hands, Michael. She'll be okay."

Michael turned and looked up at the former Navy SEAL. "But you don't know that really, do you? You think because I'm a kid, I don't see the worry in your eyes? In all of their eyes? And that vest they put on her. They only do that, when they are going against some really bad people with guns. And that won't save her if she gets hit in the head." He shivered at the thought of losing his Mom.

The boy was right. "You're a smart kid Michael. You are right. We are all very worried. The man we think who is after you, his family killed my partner's Mom and Grandfather." Sam realised it was best to be honest with the boy.

"Why did they do that?" Michael asked. They had moved to the couch, where is was more comfortable.

"Have you ever heard of a blood feud?" Sam asked him.

"No! What is it?" He raised his brow and it made Sam chuckle softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm not really laughing at you...it's just your facial expressions are so much like my partner's."

"Callen. Who my Mom called Jason?" Sam nodded. "Mom said she thinks he's my Dad, but this other man, he could be too. The bad one!" Michael stood and paced the room. "She never wanted to tell me about who my Dad was. But I remember Callen coming to visit a few years ago. The look on his face when he saw me. I realised I looked like him. But then he vanished again, till today. He comes back into our lives, when we are in trouble. Why?"

"Because he cares about you." Sam admitted to him.

"But he vanished after he met me. I don't understand!" He creased his face up in frustration over the whole situation. He would rather be in school learning than where he was right then.

"He left because your Mom told him you were not his son. She asked him to go. So he listened to her and did as she asked." Sam watched the clogs in the boy's mind think over the information quickly. Like his partner. He was definitely Callen's son. There was no doubt about it now.

"She lied to him because he had hurt her. She cried for a long time after he left. She even kicked Tommy out of the house after he came home from the hospital." Michael looked over to Sam. "I know I am his son. I saw it too, that day when I first met him. I don't need a DNA test to prove that. I just wished he had stayed." He hung his head low, as he felt rejected from his own Father. "Where is he now?"

Sam stood and walked over to where Michael leant on a beam. "At the hospital. Dr Long rang earlier. He has the results from the DNA test."

Michael's head shot up. "Then what are we waiting for?" Sam realised the boy needed to know just as much as Callen.

"Okay! Lets go." Sam jumped into the car with his partner's son and drove him to the Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre.

**NCIS**

Callen pulled up outside the medical centre and ran for the entrance, with Bronte hot on his heels. "Hold on G. You can't go in there like this? If my Mom picks up on anything, she will force it out of us and we both know this case is not one to let her know about. It will hamper her recovery. No stress, remember?"

Callen stopped and took a deep breath in, slowly released it and nodded to her. "You're right. I'm sorry." He grabbed her hand and held it tight as they walked inside together. It didn't take them long to find Dr Long and were ushered through to his office.

"Agents Callen and Smith. Please take a seat." He sat opposite them and could see how nervous Callen was. "I have some good news for you Agent Callen. The boy, Michael Donnelly, is your son."

Callen sighed with relief. He looked over at Bronte and couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. She returned the smile, happy for him, that he finally had a living blood relative. "Congratulations G. You're a Dad. Welcome to parenthood." She gripped his hand firmly as she could see a flood of emotions cross over his face.

"We need to keep this quiet. If Vasile Comescu found out, he would kill him. We need to make him think the boy is his, not mine. Michael's life is in danger." His visage darkened over the worry of his son.

"What, you want me to falsify these results? I cannot do this Agent Callen." Dr Long looked at them concerned.

"We need you to delete the test ever being done. Being my son, will put his life in danger. We cannot let anyone outside of the three of us know the truth. This paper copy is the only one that we'll keep in a safe at our offices. It will be safer than here Dr Long." He watched the Doctor think it over.

"Very well. All electronic records of this test will be deleted immediately. Here is your paper copy." Dr Long handed the only paper copy over to Callen, in an envelope. He turned to his computer and pressed the delete file from the hospital records. "It's all deleted."

"Thank you Dr Long. We really appreciate it. Now we have Bronte's Mom to visit." Callen shook the Doctor's hand and exited his office.

Bronte led the way, knowing Callen needed some time to think over the news of him being a Father for a few minutes. She left him outside in the corridor, when she entered her Mother's room. She smiled and greeted her Mom.

"Hi Mom, how are you feeling today?"

Hetty observed her daughter and knew instantly she was hiding something from her. A case they were working on, or perhaps something with regards to one of her people. Even though she had been placed in the dark from the goings on in OSP, she still worried about them. It frustrated her she couldn't have access to her laptop even. Bronte had forbidden it, knowing she would work, if she did.

"I am feeling a whole lot better, thank you my dearest Bronte. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about my people, or you. So spill." Bronte raised her right brow in question to her Mom's immediate grab for the throat and dig in approach.

"You are forbidden to think about work Mom. Stress is not good for you. It's how you ended up in this situation in the first place. But I will tell you that all members of your team are alive and well." She smiled at herself for her answer. She had told her the truth, but had managed to avert what they needed to hide from her.

"Hmmm! Too much like me, you are, you sneaky thing. Very well. You escape this time." Hetty smiled at her daughter. "Are you here alone this time?"

"No, I'm here also. How are you Hetty?" Callen asked as he entered the room. The rest of the team want to visit you Hetty. I think it's time you extended your visitor's list to your team." He smirked at the older woman.

"Cheeky bastard!" Hetty smiled and looked between her daughter and Callen. She noted they had become even closer since she had last seen them together. "So what am I missing?"

Callen quirked his brow, as if he was surprised by her question. "Nothing much Hetty. It's been pretty boring since you've been off." He kept his face blank so she couldn't read him.

"What a lot of hog wash. I can tell as soon as you each entered that something is wrong. Bronte is doing well in informing me everyone is still alive and well. How about it Mr Callen?"

Callen went to open his mouth but quickly closed it. 'Okay. If she wants to play, well let us play.' "Well lets see...Sam got so fed up with Deeks, he shot him in the arm. Kensi punched Sam in the face in retaliation and they are all in the ER being patched up right now. Eric and Nell were caught kissing in the OPS Centre, so Granger has relocated Nell to Seattle." He smirked as he stood with his arms across his chest, waiting for a response from their Operations Manager.

Hetty burst out laughing at his response. "You really are one cheeky bastard Mr Callen. You will keep." She knew from his response, that there was no way she was going to get the truth from him.

Callen's cell rang, forcing him out of ear shot, much to Hetty's annoyance. Bronte shot a worried look out the door but quickly regained control of her emotions. "Well Mom, it looks like you are going to be seeing a lot more of Max and I."

Hetty tilted her head towards her daughter. "What do you mean Bron?"

"I've asked for a transfer to OSP. Greg's parents have agreed to move to LA with Max and I." Hetty could see her daughter glow. She smiled at her, knowing much of it had to do with her senior agent.

"That is wonderful news Bron, dear. I will ensure you get your transfer through before I return to work." Bronte leant over and hugged her Mom. She was excited by the move. "A fresh start will help you and Max immensely."

Callen listened to Nell on the other end of the phone as his body temperature rose to the information being passed onto him. "They did what?" He had never been supportive of the idea of Kristin going in as bait. He still felt the need to protect her at all costs. "When? Thanks Nell." He struggled to get any more out of his voice box. It constricted with the rest of his body.

Callen's head lifted as the lift door pinged open. He watched his partner and Michael walk towards him. "You shouldn't be here Sam." He lowered his voice so Hetty couldn't hear him. "You need to take him back to the safe house immediately." The need to protect Michael was overwhelming for him.

Bronte popped her head out the door and saw the deadly look Callen gave her. Her heart started to beat at a rapid pace, it's pounding taking over all sense of hearing. "What's going on?" She took a sudden step back from Callen when she noticed he looked like he was about to explode.

Callen tried hard not to look at his son. "He's not safe here, Sam." He tried to ignore Bronte. He was livid that she had orchestrated Kristin back out to lure Vasile Comescu, while they were at the hospital. Every part of his body screamed out with fear for the woman he had once loved. She had taken over the case, leaving him without control. Callen never liked having his leadership over his team pulled from him like this.

"You don't want me?" Callen looked down at his son. He froze as he saw rejection and fear in his son's eyes.

Sam moved closer to the boy. "He wanted to be here when you found out the test results."

Callen pulled Sam away from Michael and Bronte as he whispered to his partner just how dangerous him being there with Michael was. "No one can know the paternity test was done Sam. All electronic records of it being done was deleted earlier."

"What?" Sam couldn't believe he was hearing his partner correctly.

"Take him back to the safe house Sam. The boy is in danger."

"Are you just going to shove him away?" Sam studied his partner for a moment. He could see something was up. "What's up G?"

"Vasile turned up at Kristin's house." Callen's voice sounded foreign to him as he was highly strung from the emotion of it all.

"He did?" It wasn't out of the equation of possibilities, but the way Callen was behaving, something had gone wrong.

"He's your son, isn't he? That's why you're behaving like this. You think if you pretend he's not, then he will be safe. Your wrong G. Michael is in more danger if Vasile continues to think he is his son. He will continue to find him at all costs."

"He already has. Please. Take him back."

_Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review :)_


	12. Chapter 12

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 12**

Vasile Comescu hid in a nearby bush, as he waited for Kristin to return home. He was rewarded for his patience as she pulled into her drive, with her latest boyfriend. He had long shaggy blonde hair, and he wondered how she had lowered her standards from him to the more recent choices of men. He had managed to obtain her address from Tommy Boyd before killing him the previous night. However, the two goons he had hired locally to find her and bring her and his son to him, had failed. He waited until the front door was unlocked before he moved. He could hear their voices, as they hadn't been quiet on their arrival.

"Good thing Mike is at a sleepover sweetheart. We've got the whole house to make as much noise..." Thump! Vasile used the back end of his weapon to shut the chatterbox up.

Kristin gasped as she saw Vasile appear and shove her inside of her house. Detective, Marty Deeks laid unconscious on her front step, as Vasile held her throat tight and pinned her against the wall.

"Where is he?" His voice was gravelly, as anger pushed him to the edge of no return. "Where is my son?"

Fear consumed Kristin's eyes as she tried to breath. "You're choking me, please!"

Vasile slapped her hard across the face, forcing her to fall to the floor. "I want my son. Where is he?"

"He's not here." Kristin bravely stood and spat at him.

"Tell me something I don't know, Bitch! Every time I see you, you're with a different man. You're no better than the prostitutes we have in our clubs. This is no life for my son. He needs family. To be brought up with values that mean something."

"He's not your son." Vasile slapped her hard again, forcing Kristin down. Tears streaked down her face as her whole body shook from fear. She realised why Jason had been so against her returning home. He was right. But because of her own stubbornness, she had fought him on the subject.

"I do not believe you. Now tell me where is he?" Vasile push his whole body against her hard up against the wall.

The front door opened and the man he had knocked out entered. His eyes widened as he recognised him. "You!" He shouted at the shaggy blond. "You were with Callen, when my family were killed, two years ago." He held his gun at the Detective, leaving Kristin pinned between him and the wall. "Oh this is better than I had envisioned. You are both coming with me. I can use you to draw Callen into my trap." He snarled.

"Federal Agent. Put your gun down." Kensi held her position inside of the house, with her weapon aimed at Vasile. Their plan had just gone south once Vasile recognised Deeks.

Vasile turned around and laughed at her. "You too, sweetheart. Aren't you a beauty!"

Kensi remained in her position. She was frustrated she couldn't get a clear shot of Vasile, with Kristin next to him. If she fired, there was a good chance the bullet would go though Vasile and into Kristin. Although she wore a vest, she couldn't risk the move.

"Put your gun down." Kensi repeated. "Or I will shoot."

Vasile grinned at Kensi. "You can't get a clear shot from there. You won't risk it. Now put your gun down sweetheart or I will shoot your partner here."

In the Ops Centre, Eric and Nell watched on in frustration. Nell immediately dialled Callen's phone, unaware he had been left out of the loop. He listened as she gave him the details of what was going on. She could tell from his reaction, he was peeved that Kristin had gone back home. They all knew he was too close to this case, however, three lives were held in the balance. They needed him to get to Kristin's house immediately.

**NCIS**

"What do you mean he already has G?" Sam asked his partner. Something had spooked him and he was struggling to get an answer out of him.

Instead Callen's steely glare remained in place. "Take the boy out of here now." Callen kept his voice low, but it remained in the urgent mode, in which he was in. He needed to get out of there immediately and save Kristin, Kensi and Deeks from Vasile. "Vasile has Kristin, Deeks and Kensi, Sam. I need to get there. Take care of the boy."

Callen went to exit the floor, when Sam held his arm. "I need to come with you G, to back you up. There is no way you are going in there alone."

Callen shook his head. "I need someone I trust to keep him safe."

"Bronte can look after him G. She's a Mom and a well experienced agent after all. I am coming with you." Callen looked over to Bronte and his son. It killed him seeing him look so rejected. He knew only too well how that felt. He desperately wanted to make him feel better, but three lives were at risk. He needed to keep this professional, while he could.

Callen nodded. Quickly he walked over to Michael and bent lower to his height. "Stay with Bronte, she will keep you safe. Sam and I need to go."

Callen watched Michael nod his head. Callen looked up to Bronte. "Take him back to the safe house, Bron. Ring me when you are safely back there. We've got to go. Here's my keys." He turned and bolted out of the hospital, with Sam on his heels.

Bronte remained standing in the same spot as she watched Callen and Sam disappear. She could tell something was going on and worried. She quickly hid her emotions and smiled at Michael. "Let's go back hey!" She ruffled his long blond hair. "I just have to say a quick goodbye to someone. Come with me." She turned and entered her Mom's room.

"Who do we have here?" Hetty asked, as she studied the boy. She raised her eyes to her daughter, expecting an explanation.

"This is Michael. He's keeping me company for a few hours. I have to go Mom. I'll call by later, when I have more time." Bronte leant down and gave her Mom a hug. She had no idea her Mom had any idea who the boy was.

"Michael Donnelly?" Hetty asked, surprised as to why the boy was in the hospital with Bronte. The boy nodded. "Where's Mr Callen?"

"He and Sam had to go, so they left Michael with me." Bronte replied. "You know Michael?" She asked surprised.

"We've never met before today." Hetty admitted. "But I know his Dad very well."

Bronte stood speechless, as she realised her Mom knew Michael was Callen's son all along. "You knew?"

"I've not come down in the last shower Bronte dear. Just look at him. So much like his Dad was, at that age."

"So he is definitely my Dad then? Not the bad man?" Michael asked hopeful.

Hetty tilted her head as she frowned, assessing Michael's words. "What bad man are you talking about dear boy?" Hetty looked over at her daughter and saw worry in her eyes.

"Mom, you're not suppose to be worrying about work. We have to go." Bronte moved Michael to exit the room to avoid answering her Mom's question. "See you later Mom. Be good." The last thing she needed was for her Mom's recovery to be hampered by stress from work.

Hetty picked up her phone and dialled OPS. "Miss Jones, would you so kindly tell me what the hell is going on?"

Nell held the phone out from her ear, as she listened to her boss' voice on the other end of the phone. "Hetty! You are on sick leave. I am not allowed to tell you anything. Granger is on his way back to LA as we speak. Bronte is handling your role as Operations Manager quite well."

"That is bull Miss Jones and you know it. She is babysitting Michael Donnelly and has just left the hospital. Now do I have to come in to the mission in person?"

"I have to go Hetty." Nell hung up the phone from Hetty. Eric gave her a 'can't believe you just hung up on Hetty look,' as they refocused on updating Callen and Sam on what was going on at the Donnelly house.

"We're ten minutes out Nell. What's the situation? Have you called LAPD for back up? Are there any other of our teams in place to come for backup?"

"From the cameras and mics on Deeks Kesni and Kristin, it doesn't look good Callen. Vasile knows who Deeks and Kensi are. He's going to use them as bait to draw you in, to kill you. Kristin is doing her best to dispel Vasile's belief that Michael is his son, by saying that he's Jason Tedrow's son." Nell and Eric tried frantically to organise back up for the team. "LAPD are unable to assist us in the next half hour Callen. All other teams are out on assignment. You're on your own."

Callen looked over at Sam at he drove as fast as he could in the black challenger. "Shit! Well she would be correct. Jason Tedrow is the boy's Father." He was glad that Kristin was smart and was thinking on her feet.

"Vasile doesn't believe her Callen." Callen thought for a moment.

"Hey Nell. Can you make a pretend DNA results up and place it on the hospital's database, with Jason Tedrow being the match as Father for Michael Donnelly?" He had an idea. They could go with his alias as the real Father of Michael, it would be safer that way. Why didn't he think of that earlier? He knew he wasn't thinking as clearly as he should. Bronte was right. He was too close to this case.

"Sure Callen. I will work on that immediately." She quickly typed away on her keyboard, breaking into the Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre's database, thanks to Eric's assistance.

"We're still trying to arrange back up for you Callen. There's been a pile up on the 405, which has taken so much of LAPD's resources. We're trying to arrange for another team to come in to back you up." Eric stated. You could hear the strain he was under in his voice.

"Thanks Eric, thanks Nell." Callen hung up from his call and sighed. His body was tense as he focused on the road ahead. They were two minutes out from Kristin's house.

The screech from the challenger's tyres could be heard a few streets away as they approached, which meant that their presence was known by Vasile before they had even arrived at the property.

**NCIS**

Kensi and Deeks sat tied up together in the living room, frustrated their plan had gone wrong. They knew Callen would be furious with them for letting Vasile get the better of them. They hoped Eric and Nell had called Callen and Sam for backup, as they couldn't help keep Kristin safe anymore. They had rubbed their wrists as they tried to escape the zippy ties that held their wrist tightly together. Pain shot up their arms as the plastic ties cut deep into their skin, causing blood to pour down their hands. They could hear Kristin curse Vasile as he roughly manhandled her in the bedroom. It was hard to bare, as they heard her scream, trying hard not to think of what he was doing to her.

The door burst open, as Callen and Sam moved in with their weapons drawn. Kensi and Deeks tried to nod their heads in the direction of the bedroom, to where Vasile held Kristin. Sam moved to cut them loose, but was stopped by Vasile, who had entered the main living room with Kristin, whom he had stripped of her bullet proof vest and most of her clothes. He held his gun, pressed hard to her temple.

Callen's heart broke, as he saw Kristin vulnerable and in danger. He was hidden behind the wall between the bedroom and the living room. He hoped Vasile would be distracted by Sam long enough to move in from behind.

"Drop your weapon or I will kill her." Vasile snarled at the former Navy SEAL.

"Please, don't hurt her." Sam pleaded. He could see Vasile hadn't seen Callen yet, and used that piece of information to their advantage.

"You're his partner." Vasile stated. "Where is he?" He looked around but Callen remained hidden.

"Where is who?" Sam tried to play ignorant.

"Callen. The three of you came to our family's beach house with him and killed my family. Now it's my turn to kill each of you. He raised his arm and fired his weapon at Deeks hitting him in the leg.

Deeks cried out in pain as the bullet seared through his flesh.

Callen moved from behind the wall and jumped on Vasile, to give Kristin time to escape. Sam tried to get a shot in, but couldn't risk hitting his partner.

Sam quickly released Kensi and Deeks out of the ties and let Kensi help Deeks to a safer position. Sam held his weapon on Vasile. "Freeze Vasile Comescu. You are under arrest."

Vasile rolled and place Callen between himself and Sam. Callen tried to move to give Sam a clear shot, but struggled. Kristin tried to escape Vasile, but he had trapped her by trying her hands behind her back with rope, which he had tied around his waist. She was stuck and tried to get free.

Sam finally realised why Kristin couldn't escape. He moved to help release her, when a bullet grazed his arm. He looked and saw Vasile with his legs around his partner's neck and his weapon drawn on him and Kristin. The searing pain in his arm pulsated, as his body tried to gain his attention to it, but he ignore it, as his adrenaline took over. Callen went blue as oxygen couldn't get through. Panic ran thorough Sam as he fired his weapon into Vasile's left leg.

Callen took advantage of the hit to escape Vasile's grip as he rolled in pain from the hit. He tried to grip his hands around Vasile's neck as he raised his weapon the second time. The shot fired just before Callen managed to suffocate him, from squeezing his windpipe.

Sam called out as Kristin went down, blood pouring from her chest. "Eric. We need paramedics to our location stat. Kristin and Deeks have been shot." He ignored mentioning his own wound as he held pressure on Kristin's, as he tried to keep her alive.

Callen looked over and panic flashed over his face, as he moved in next to Kristin. "Kristin. Stay with me. Please!" He pleaded. "Michael needs you."

Kristin slightly opened her eyes as she looked up at him. She choked on blood as it flooded her lungs. "Promise me you'll take good care of Michael, Jason. Promise me!"

"You've got to fight this, Kristin. For Michael." Callen held her hand as she struggled to breath.

"Promise me." Kristin tried hard to stay conscious. She needed to know that Callen would be there for their son.

"I promise." Callen agreed. Michael was his own flesh and blood after all.

Callen cried out as he watched the life leave Kristin's eyes. They could hear the sirens approach, but he knew it was too late. He screamed out as the pain in his heart from failing to keep Kristin safe, took over.

Sam watched the grief take over his partner. He knew he had once loved this woman, and had tried hard to put it aside the last time Callen became Jason Tedrow. But the fact was, he had gotten too involved with Kristin and had loved her. Michael was living proof of that love.

As the paramedics entered the house, Sam pulled Callen away from Kristin's body. Kensi moved to allow more paramedics to attend to Deeks' leg, which she had managed to tie her shirt around the top of the wound, to stabilise him. Paramedics tried to bring life back into Kristin's lifeless body, with no success. Sam watched his partner sit outside on the lawn, alone, as a paramedic attended to his own bullet wound.

Callen felt frustration ripple through his body as he mourned over another person he had loved, who had been taken by a Comescu. His body remained tense as LAPD arrived at the scene. Sam and Kensi gave them details of what happened and the names of the two dead persons, leaving him to his own thoughts. He needed to get away but he needed a ride. Eventually Sam walked over and sat by him.

"Kensi's gone with Deeks to Cedar-Sinai. Kristin's body is going there also. I've asked for Rose to be the attending Coroner for her. She'll take great care of her G." Sam wanted to provide comfort to his partner, but his hands were still covered in Kristin's blood.

"Where's Kensi's keys. I need to get out of here." Callen looked lost. His body was going into shock.

"I don't think you should be driving G." Sam looked over to his partner with concern.

"I'm fine!" Callen stood and caught the keys Sam threw to him. Sam knew when not to push his partner any further.

"Thanks." Sam watched him walk up the road to where Kensi had left her car. He shook his head at how the operation had gone south. Another person who Callen had loved was dead, all thanks to a Comescu. He was close to driving to the airport to fly to Romania himself, at that moment. To end the Comescu bloodline, there and then, for his partner. Instead he walked back inside of the house to collect clothes and other items for Michael. Sam looked in the kitchen cupboards and fridge, to see what foods Kristin stocked. It would help him decide what the boy liked. He knew Callen was not in a fit state to look after his son that night. He was grief stricken and in shock.

_Love to know your thoughts on this story. Please review!_


	13. Chapter 13

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

_The aftermath..._

**Chapter 13**

Sam punched in the code and entered the boat shed. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Michael look up at him expectantly. It broke his heart, knowing they had let him down, in failing to keep his Mom safe. He forced himself to walk over to the table and placed the boy's belongings on it. Michael quickly moved over, excited to see some toys of his, but stopped short of the table. He studied the large dark skinned man before him and knew something wasn't right. He noticed the bloodied bandage on his left arm.

Bronte looked over at Sam. The look he had given as he entered, forced her stomach to clench tight from fear of what had happened. "Where's G?" Her voice was quiet, as fear prevented her from speaking any louder.

Sam looked down at the boy and then over to Bronte. "I thought he would be here." He moved his gaze back to Michael, who had his eyes on him.

"Where's my Mom?" Michael almost squeaked out. His body shook from fear of what had happened. "You're hurt!" He added. Gently touching near the wound.

Sam braced himself for the contact, but found the boy soothed him, rather than annoyed him. He was still in pain, and if Hetty was around, she would have forced him to the hospital. But Michael had been gentle and purposefully avoided touching too close to the spot, that still seared with pain from the hot metal contact of the bullet.

"Michael!" Sam spoke softly to the boy. "I'm sorry. I am so very sorry."

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes, but he crossed his arms over his chest, trying hard to keep them from spilling over. He knew he had to be strong. It was the only way he could deal with what he knew Sam was going to tell him.

"We tried our best. When we arrived at the house, Vasile had tied Kensi and Deeks up and had removed your Mom's bullet proof vest." He omitted the detail of her clothes as well for the boy. The facts were gruesome enough as it was. And he understood the boy needed to know what had happened to his Mom. "Your Dad and I, we tried hard to help your Mom escape, but he shot Deeks in the leg, me in the arm and then your Dad jumped him, trying hard to kill him. To let your Mom escape. But we didn't know he had tied her up with rope to him. I tried as quick as I could to get your Mom free. But he had his legs wrapped around your Dad's neck...he was going blue, so I shot him in the leg." It had all happened so fast. Sam's mind was still reeling the images of all that had happened over and over, trying to make sense of it all. "Just before your Dad killed him, he managed to get another shot off." Sam paced the room. Telling Michael that his Mom was dead was much harder than he had anticipated. "He shot your Mom, Michael, in the chest."

The tears flowed freely down Michael's face as he fell to his knees and cried. The only parent he knew was dead. He suddenly felt very alone.

Sam moved over to him and knelt beside him, while Bronte tried hard to hold herself together. She needed to remain strong for Michael and for Callen.

"I'm so sorry Michael. Your Dad and I tried hard to save her." He placed his arm around the boy's shoulders to comfort him. "We'll get Bronte to take you home to her house. Your Dad can find you there later."

Michael looked over to Sam and anger replaced the tears. "Why isn't he here now?"

"Your Dad is hurting and in shock. He needs to process all that's happened first." 'More like punch a sandbag to pulp.' Sam thought to himself. Then he realised where his partner had gone to.

"Why is he hurting? He doesn't love us?" Michael struggled to process why his Dad, who he didn't know, but has met a few times, would be so upset over his Mom's death. He needed his Dad now, and that was all he understood.

"Your Dad did love your Mom once, Michael. You are living proof of that. When he found about about you, it hurt him to think he had missed out on being there for you. He stayed away because of your Mom. He had hurt her, so she pushed him away. But she asked him to promise her that he would take good care of you. And he will honour that to your Mom. He does love you. Don't ever doubt that. But it's not been easy on him. He was only five, when he saw his own Mom killed. He's spent his whole life alone without any family. You are his only living blood relative. He will do anything to keep you safe."

"How do you know that? He isn't here to tell me about my Mom. If he cared, he would be here." Michael fisted his hands and punched at Sam as he tried to calm him down.

"Michael it's true." Bronte moved in closer to him to help him realise it was the truth. "When Dr Long told him that you were his son, he had the biggest smile on his face. For so long, he had longed for a family. Any family. It means more to him than anything else in the world. You just need to give him time to get used to having you in his life."

Michael looked into Bronte's eyes and could see she was telling him the truth. He nodded, to let her know that he accepted what she had told him.

"Look! I'm going to go and find your Dad. I think I know where he's gone to. Let Bronte take you to her home. It's a really big home, with lots of beds in. I will send your Dad home to you." Sam tried to smile at the boy, but the fact was, there really wasn't much to smile about.

Michael looked between Sam and Bronte. "Does my Dad live with you?" He asked Bronte.

She blushed at his question. "It's my Mom's home actually. My home is in New York at the moment. But hopefully that will change soon. My son Max and I are hoping to move to LA, permanently. Your Dad doesn't have any furniture in his house yet, so we'll have to take him shopping won't we? It should be fun." She tried to brighten the mood up a little for the boy.

"How old is Max?" Michael asked, hoping for another boy his age for company.

Bronte knelt down in front of Michael. "Max is eight years old and understands what you are going through. Last year he saw his Dad and sister killed at a park."

"You lost your husband and daughter?" Bronte nodded. Michael frowned as he thought things over. "Looks like I belong here after all."

Bronte tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone seems to have lost someone they cared about." He turned to Sam. "Have you lost someone you cared about Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Yes I have Michael. Good friends who I have worked with. But I haven't lost your Dad yet! I always make sure I have his back, and that he has mine." Sam stood to leave. "I'm going now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Michael nodded and walked over to the table to see what Sam had brought over for him.

**NCIS**

Sam found his partner where he guessed. In the gym punching the sandbag to a pulp. Sweat poured from off his body as he punched his frustrations and anger out on the bag. The pounding was a comforting rhythmic sound after their crazy night. "Michael needs you G."

Callen punched the sandbag harder before looking to his partner. "Leave it alone Sam."

"No G! I won't. Not this time. I know you are hurting. But Michael needs you to be his Father. You are all he has now." Sam moved closer to Callen, but he could see the storm in his partner's eyes. It worried him immensely.

"He doesn't want me Sam. I let him down. His Mom died on our watch. How can I look him in the eyes and tell him I couldn't save her?" The emotions from failing Kristin toiled within him.

"He knows what happened G. I told him." Callen looked up with surprise written across his face.

"Why did you do that?" Callen struggled to grasp how much Sam always seemed to have his back. It wasn't supposed to go that way. It was him who was suppose to have Sam and the rest of his team's back. He needed to prove he was worth something to them.

"Because he needed to know G. And you were in no condition to tell him. But he needs you now. He doesn't understand why you aren't with him. He thinks you don't care." Sam watched his partner wrestle the emotions of being needed by his son.

"I don't know how to be there for him, Sam." Callen fell to his knees. "I needed Kristin to live, damn it! I can't have the boy go through what I did..."

"Then don't. Go back to Hetty's. He's gone there with Bronte." Callen shook his head.

"I can't go there. She orchestrated this plan against my will. Kristin is dead because Bronte let her go back there. If only she had listened...if both of them had listened to me..."

"Bronte did what we both know Hetty would have done as well, G. You were too close to this case. She had to take a stand and organise the plan. It was a good plan. We just didn't expect Vasile to know who we all were. We should have gotten another team to take over this case. But you cannot blame Bronte for what happened today." Sam knelt beside him, but still gave him the space he needed.

"No! You're right Sam. She's not to blame. I am." Callen's body shook as he let his guard down. The emotions were too strong. He hated the fact that Michael had to go through what he had. To lose his Mom at such a young age.

"No you're not Mr Callen." Sam and Callen looked up surprised to see Hetty standing there in the gym. Sam noticed Gibbs, Abby and a boy who stood behind her. "I wish you had told me about Vasile being in Los Angeles, rather than hearing from my doctor that two of my agents have been shot and Miss Donnelly...oh Mr Callen." Hetty moved closer to her team leader and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I am so sorry." Hetty moved a step back and looked around the gym. "Where's Bronte?" She had expected to find her there at the mission.

"She's taken Michael back to your house, Hetty." Sam stood up and walked away from his partner. "I was trying to persuade G to go there. He needs his Dad."

Hetty nodded. "That he does. But not while he is in this state."

Gibbs moved closer to his old friend. "Callen!"

Callen's eyes focused for the first time on the fact that Gibbs was there. He had seen Hetty, but until he spoke, hadn't registered him being there. "What are you doing here?" He asked him.

"Bronte rang me this morning. She told me you had a tough case going on. She asked if I would come over. I brought Abby and Max with me this time." Gibbs watched Callen's head move and focus on the other two figures standing behind him. He creased his brow, as he tried to clear his mind of the fog that had settled there earlier in the evening.

Abby remained quiet as she saw a very disheveled Callen on the floor, as she had only ever seen him in control of his emotions. But what ever had happened that day, had affected the seasoned agent deeply.

Max moved from Abby's side, towards Callen, at the same moment Bronte arrived with Michael. She had received Gibbs' text that they had arrived at the mission. All eyes in the gym were focused on Bronte's eight year old son.

Max signed his hands as he had been told by his Mom on Skype, that Callen could sign. "Uncle Jethro told me that you have a huge heart of gold. That you care a lot for other people. You can't blame yourself for the bad things that other people do. You work hard to save people, like my Daddy did. You are a good man Callen. I see it in my Mom's eyes when she talks to me on the computer." Max's words brought tears to everyone's eyes, of those who knew sign language. Which was everyone, except for Sam and Michael. It was a truth about the forty-three year old agent, that people had struggled to tell him in person. But spoke fondly about, to others. Like Nell had done with Bronte, the day before.

Max always had the effect of making people feel good about themselves. He had been a blessing to Bronte and Greg's parents after Greg and Carrie's deaths. Bronte was so taken by how easily Max had moved closer to Callen and told him those things, which at that moment, he really needed to hear. At eight years of age, he appeared older for his age, in so many ways. Yet he was just as venerable, if not more so, than the next eight year old kid. He had endured more horror than most people, at such a young age, like Callen, he had lost a parent and sister. Bronte had to send him to a psychologist to get him to open up about his feelings. He had improved greatly after his sessions with one who could sign with him.

But Bronte realised it was her that needed someone to talk to now. She had put her grief away, yet Callen had managed to creep within her walls and gave her the comfort she needed. Now it was her turn to be there for him. She walked over and placed her hand on her son's shoulders. Max turned and a huge smile graced his lips as he hugged his Mom.

Callen watched the interaction between Mother and son. It broke him to think his own son would no longer have the gentle touch of his own Mother again. But then again, Max had lost his Father too, and would never have the strong arms of Greg lift him high into the air or play football with him, ever again. Life just didn't seem fair to him. He looked over and saw the loneliness in his own son's eyes. It hit him like a bullet, just how much Michael needed him. Sam was right. He needed to push his own grief aside and focus on his son.

He raised himself up onto his feet and slowly walked over towards his son. He saw tears in his eyes as he approached him, knowing that seeing Max reunite with his Mom, hurt. He bent low and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "Michael."

The boy looked up at his Father's eyes, surprised he had called him by his own name. "Dad." It was a whisper, but it jolted Callen from hearing those words from his son. He felt a shift inside of him, a burst of love he never thought he would ever feel for another being. His own flesh and blood. His son.

"Are you okay?" He was lost for words. He had no idea what to say to his own son, due to the fact they were strangers.

Michael moved the rest of the distance and hugged his Dad. Even with all of Callen's sweat, Michael didn't care. His Dad was there with him now, and that was all that mattered. He clung on tight, showing no signs of letting him go.

Gibbs looked over at his old friend, surprised by what he saw. A younger Callen, gripping him for dear life. He thought over what he had seen, from when they had first entered the gym. Someone had died, that had affected Callen more than normal, that was obvious. And it had everything to do with the boy. He shook his head as he realised Callen had a son. A small smile appeared on the edges of his lips, which Abby noticed.

"I had no idea Callen had a son." Abby spoke quietly to her boss. She turned around and found her dear friend Bronte about to hug her. "Bron. It's so good to see you." Abby hug her friend back.

"Thank you for brining Max over to me. I've missed him so much." Bronte held Max close to her as she hugged her dear friends. "Jethro. Thank you for coming over so quickly."

"Whenever you need us, we're a phone call away Bron. You know that." Gibbs kissed Bronte on her temple. "So when did this happen?" He nodded over in the direction of Callen and the boy.

"Callen only found out today that Michael was his son." Gibbs and Abby were surprised the boy and Callen had taken to each other so fast. "This is the first sign of affection Callen has shown him. His Mom died a short time ago. It's been a heart wrenching case for Callen. A Comescu killed her. He shot Deeks and Sam as well." They all looked over at the former Navy SEAL, who Hetty was talking to.

"Hey Sam." Gibbs called over to him. "Get yourself to the hospital. We need you better to have Callen's back." Gibbs knew how Callen hated hospitals and tried to escape having to go whenever he was hurt on the job. But he was surprised Sam was the same. He had heard how much of a Mother Hen Sam was to his partner.

Hetty smiled at her dear old friend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "Listen to the man. Go." She advised her senior agent. "You have the rest of the week off. Now be gone with you."

Sam shook his head. He was pleased Callen had gone over to Michael and how they had turned to each other for comfort. His job was done, so he left the mission and drove back to Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre. He dialled Michelle on his way, and received an earful of her scolding him for not going sooner.

"We're coming to meet you at the hospital, Sam. Be there in twenty." Michelle grabbed their kids and climbed into the car. She sighed as she took in the gravity of the situation. Callen was a Dad, her husband and Deeks had been shot, and the Boy's Mother was killed. 'Not a good day at the office.' She thought to herself.

_Love to know what you think._


	14. Chapter 14

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 14**

Bronte laughed at her Mother. "Really Mom. And you can talk? Sending Sam off like that? You better have a good reason for being here and not back in your hospital room." Her face took on a more concern look, as she worried over her Mom.

Hetty walked over to her daughter and hugged her. "Now if you had of told me what was going on, perhaps I would still be in hospital."

"Yeah right Mom. As if. We both know you have a bad habit of not resting. You worry too much..."

"I had every right to worry. When Dr Long explained to me about my two agents and..." She hesitated as she looked over at at her senior agent and his son. "And that there was a Comescu in town, I needed to make sure everyone was alright." She sighed. The state Callen was in only ten minutes ago was a concern, but as she watched him tend to his son's needs, she relaxed a little. "Perhaps I worried too much, my dear Bronte, but I had good reason to. Now that I can see everyone is safe, would you mind taking me home please."

Bronte smiled at her Mom. She meant well, and worried over each member of her team as if she was their Mother. "Let's go home Max." She signed to her son.

Max smiled up at his Mom and Nana. "Is Callen and that boy coming too?" He had watched them and wondered about them.

"That's the plan." Bronte sighed. It was the plan indeed. But whether Callen would talk to her and accept the offer of them staying at her Mom's place was another thing. Bravely she walked over to them and waited till they saw her there, before she spoke. "Are you ready to come back to my Mom's place Michael?" The boy nodded, but she could see the tension in Callen's body language. He refused to make eye contact. She was prepared for his anger towards her, but it still created her heart to beat madly.

"He's coming home with me." Callen stated.

"But you don't have any furniture G. Michael needs a bed, amongst other things." She spoke softly, trying to ease the tension between them, and not to upset Michael any further. "You are most welcome to come too, you know. There's plenty of room..."

"Can we please Dad?" Michael pleaded with his Father. He liked Bronte, she had been really nice to him. He was intrigue also by her son Max, with his signing.

Callen looked at his son. "Okay." He had returned to using a few words again, a habit from whenever he was hurting. Walls had been re erected around his heart to prevent Bronte from getting close again.

Bronte gave Michael a warm smile. "Wait till you see how much garden there is for you to run around."

"It will only be for one night." Callen interjected. "Until I buy some furniture."

Michael looked between his Dad and Bronte. He could feel the tension between them. He creased his brow. "Why are you fighting?" He asked. It was a simple question for the boy, as he had seen them happier together, earlier. He couldn't understand why his Dad seemed mad at her all of a sudden.

"We're not fighting, Michael." Bronte responded, kindly. Callen tried hard to regain his control of his emotions, so it didn't effect his son. "Your Dad is just hurting, like you are. That's why it's really important to have people who care about you around you, at times like this. To be there for you. And that is exactly what we are going to be for you both." She hoped Callen picked on the message for him in her words to the boy.

Bronte bravely looked at Callen and finally caught his eyes. She saw his grief and anger quickly storm over his eyes. It broke her heart, to see him suffer like this. She wanted to hug him, to comfort him. But she could see he wouldn't let her.

"Do you want your keys G?" She softly asked him. He nodded. She quickly handed them over to him and walked away.

"Why does she call you G?" Michael asked him.

"It's the first letter of my name. I don't know what my name is. No one ever told me. Callen is my family name." He saw surprise in his son's eyes.

"You never knew what your name was?" Michael asked. ""Wow! So that makes me Michael Callen then!"

A small smile edged his mouth. "Yes it does, Michael. Yes it does." He held his son close to him. It felt so good to have him with him, yet at the same time, he had no idea about being a Dad. He looked over at his old friend Gibbs. He nodded to him and realised why he was there and why Bronte had contacted him. He watched Bronte fuss over her son and Mother. He knew she hadn't deserved him to treat her the way he had, but he just couldn't help it. He ignored her or spoke roughly to her, whereas, she in return, spoke kindly and was thoughtful of their best interests. He shook his head. He really didn't deserve her. People like him didn't get the happy endings. He knew he would have to push her away. He was no good for her. He needed to focus on being the best Dad he could, for his son.

**NCIS**

Bronte boiled the kettle and prepared the teapot for a fresh pot of Peking Tea. She knew it was one of her Mother's favourite blends. Her hands shook as she prepared the teacups and saucers for all the adults in the house.

Abby saw how upset Bronte was, so she walked over to her and gave her a big Abby hug. "Talk to me beautiful. Why are you so upset?"

Tears threatened to spill, but she shook her head anyway. "Nothing!" She replied, hoping Abby would accept her answer. But she should have known better. This was Abby she was dealing with.

"Nothing? You call this friction between you and Callen, nothing? Look, you know me Bronte. I see these things clearly. You are both hurting. Now spill." Abby remained where she was in her high heeled black leather boots and black and white long socks, which edged her black and white tartan skirt. Her black t-shirt had a huge red heart on it, which seemed to glow in the night light.

Bronte sighed. "You are too persistent for me Abby. Where would I be without you in my life?" She edged in closer and hugged her friend as she let her tears spill. The truth was, Abby had saved her back when they had discovered Max was deaf. She could see so much of Abby's bright spark in her son. One would almost think they were related. But it was the effect Abby had on Max, as he grew and adjusted to his silent world. Carrie had been a huge part in that adjustment alongside them, but after her death, it was Abby who kept Max going, on the same path.

"Oh Bron. You are like my sister, you always have been. That's what family is for." Abby released her hug and took over pouring the tea. "Your Mom really loves her tea, doesn't she? The only time Gibbs and I ever drink it, is when your Mom is around."

Bronte laughed. "She does, you're right. Especially Peking."

Hetty walked in on the tail end of her daughter's words. "Did I hear Peking?"

"Yes Mom, you did. Now please sit down. You should really be in bed." Bronte scolded her Mother.

Abby laughed. "You're sounding more like your Mom every day Bron."

Bronte blushed. It was a compliment, she knew, but her Mother had this legacy, almost an urban legend about her. She was far from that. She had more of her Père's nature in her.

"Miss Scuito is right, my dear, you are sounding more like me as you get older." Hetty smiled as she sipped on her cup of speaking tea. Now Jethro is helping Max get ready for bed, while Mr Callen is settling Michael in his bedroom. They may be a while."

Bronte looked up in the direction of the stairs. Knowing Callen was so close, but so far from her frustrated her a little. They had gone through so much to get got the point they were at the night before. Now she felt they had gone backwards, way past zero. 'Perhaps having him around wasn't such a good idea after all.' She wondered. He was too much of a distraction to her.

Ten minutes later Gibbs walked down the stairs and joined them. "Where's Callen?" He asked, thinking he would have been down with the others by now.

"He's still up with Michael." Hetty advised him.

Gibbs creased his brow. "I'll go and check that he's okay." Gibbs climbed back up the stairs and quietly opened the door to Michael's bedroom. He smiled when he saw his friend lying on the floor beside the bed, asleep. It had been a huge emotional toll on the man, that was certain. Quietly he closed the door and walked back down the stairs. "He's asleep on the floor beside Michael's bed." Gibbs informed them. It reassured him that his friend was going to be okay, and not bolt, the first chance he got.

**NCIS**

Kensi sat by Deeks bed eating green jello from a cup. "Oh come on sunshine. You've eaten my jello again. I swear, I am going to buy you a huge supply for your fridge, if you promise me to share some of my jello with me." Deeks pleaded with his partner.

Kensi stood up from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. "Move over whiny." He had none stopped whined over the pain from his bullet wound in his leg since arriving at the hospital. The truth was, he was trying to distract them both from the earlier events. To not think how Callen and Michael were going, after Kristin was killed by Vasile. They knew the ripple effect of the night's events were huge for their team leader and his son.

Kensi sat beside her partner, careful not to hurt his injured leg. She passed the cup over to him and let him eat the rest of the jello. Both of their wrists had been dressed and bandaged by the doctors on arrival, after Deeks' leg had been attended to first. "I am not whiny." He protested.

"You are so." Kensi chided. She smirked and watched him frown. He really was cute when he frowned. Deeks caught Kensi's look and held it. They each tried to read the others thoughts, when they were interrupted by Sam.

"Oh this is cosy." He greeted them. "Any room for me?" He chuckled.

"Only if you have jello to share.' Deeks replied, cheekily. "Kensi ate most of mine."

"Trouble in paradise I see!" Sam wore his smirk across his face. After a moment, a more serious look covered his face. "Are you both good?"

"Yeah, we're both good." Kensi replied. She was relieved it was only in Deeks leg and had missed any major arteries, especially after what had happened to Dom. The memory of her old partner's death had been etched deeply into her brain.

"Good to hear." Sam nodded.

"How's the arm?" Deeks asked the former SEAL. He knew he was bred tough, but wanted to show he cared for the big guy.

"Sore. But it will heal. Probably faster than Callen's heart right now." He shook his head at the memory of the earlier events. "He's pushed Bronte away, again. When is he going to get it into his thick skull, that Bronte is perfect for him? Instead he lets anything that he can use as an excuse not to be happy. But at least he's realised Michael needs him. At least that is going in the right direction."

The Detective and junior agent listened to the big guy's rant over his partner. They knew it was because he cared for him, like a brother.

"Well that's one step in the right direction." Deeks replied. After growing up with a Father like he had, he would not have been happy with Callen if he hadn't been there for his son. Especially after losing his Mom like that.

"You know Callen better than most Sam. Give him time, he'll come around. He always does. It's a lot for him to deal with." Kensi added.

Sam nodded. "Thanks. You two behave. See you next week."

"What next week? Where's the love?" Deeks grinned.

"Hetty's given me the rest of the week off. I suppose you will be too, looking at your leg. Look after yourselves." Sam chuckled as he left the room. He looked down the corridor and saw his wife of ten years smile from the other end. Oh he loved going home to his family. Something he knew his partner would find out for himself, soon enough.

_It's been a very long day for the team. Four chapters actually. Time to move forward._


	15. Chapter 15

**Lost Too Much**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Shane Brennan and CBS has the pleasure of owning all NCIS Los Angeles Characters._

**Chapter 15**

_Two weeks later..._

It had taken Callen two weeks to finally break down in front of Bronte. In all that time, he had ignored her and slowly edged her out of his life. Gibbs had managed to be a good support to Callen over the Father thing, which he had appreciated. The three of them had gone shopping together and managed to buy not only a bed for Michael, but one for Callen, some chest of drawers, a desk, dining table, chairs and a couch. The house felt more like a home, and Gibbs smiled as he saw the Father and son slowly bond and get to know each other. It helped that they both loved baseball and football, so Callen decided to buy a television so they could watch the game together. Gibbs secretly purchased tools to set Callen up in the shed out the back, to work on building things out of wood. Like himself, Gibbs understood the man, that G Callen was, always needing the use of his hands to soothe the soul from the horror of their work and the grief they had suffered from the loved ones they had lost.

Gibbs and Abby offered to take the boys down to the Santa Monica Pier for the afternoon, to give Callen and Bronte some alone time. They just forgot to tell Callen. Because they all knew that he would have bolted, if he had any inclination, that Bronte was going to come over and spend that free afternoon with him.

Callen was busy in the shed trying to make Gibbs a thank you present, for all his help with Michael. He had spend many times off work with Gibbs, when he had been based in DC, learning the art of carpentry from the older man. It was only a small thing, and he found himself so wrapped up in the project, he hadn't noticed the figure in the doorway.

Bronte loved watching Callen use his hands. There was something about them that she had been fascinated by, from the beginning. They were strong hands, she had noted, that could be used to injure or kill an enemy, or gentle, as he touched her face. His rough hands made her skin tingle from his touch. The fact was, she had missed him, more than she thought possible. How had he, in such a short time, managed to get under her skin, like he had? She knew better than to sneak up behind him, knowing his senses were more alert than most, due to the life he had in the Foster Care system. She could have stayed put, leaning on the doorframe and just watched him at work, but she knew they needed to talk. So she knocked on the doorframe instead.

Callen looked up, surprised by her presence. She looked so pretty with her hair down over her shoulders, gently blowing in the breeze. The summer's dress she wore came just above her knees, displaying her slender legs. As Callen's eyes scanned the length of her toned body, he found himself moving closer towards her, to touch her. He was like a small child who was tempted to touch a toy in the store, but had been told not to, by his Mother. He just couldn't help himself. With his eyes fixed on hers, he gently traced her face with his fingers, leading them down her neck to her shoulders.

Bronte shivered from his touch. Goosebumps formed on her skin, as her body reacted to his touch. "Hi!" She whispered. Too afraid to break the silence between them. "I've missed you." She admitted to him. This was the most attention she had gotten out of him over the past two weeks.

Callen took a step back as if he been burnt. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He moved to return to his work, when she pulled her hand out to touch him.

It had broken her to see him pull away like he had. She needed to show him, she wasn't going anywhere. "G!"

He turned to face her again. "Bron...please go." He pleaded with her. He wasn't ready to deal with her yet.

"No! I won't go G." Her response shook him. He thought it was better for her, if she had just walked away from him. To forget him. "We've sold our house in New York, so we're looking for one in LA." Her words surprised him, that even after all he had done to her, she was still staying.

"Why?" He had become so accustomed to people he loved, leave him. This was new to him.

"Because I love you G! No matter how much you try to push me away from you, I can't leave." Her body trembled from the emotions that rippled through her. Her heart pounded rapidly, as she waited for him to make the next move. She understood how much he needed to know she loved him, even if he couldn't tell her, himself. But there was one thing she understood from having a child who was born deaf, was that there were many more ways to show someone that they loved you, other than words. She knew from the way he behaved, it was because he was in love with her. How did she know? It was because he had pushed her away. Not in a rude way, but slowly. And what did she see when she looked at the man she loved? Hurt! Grief! Fear! He feared to love, and to lose what he treasured most.

"How can you love me Bron? I've done nothing but hurt you..." He had stopped and remained glued to the floor from her words. He had that lost look in his eyes.

"You've hurt yourself G. Yes you have hurt me, but I understand why..."

"How can you? You hardly know me." He studied her eyes and saw how venerable she was, declaring her love for him.

"G!" She gently touched him on the arms. Sparks ripped through them both at the contact. "I've loved you since I was thirteen. When are you going to realise I'm here for good?"

Her words remained soft. Her love and her kindness touched him deeper than any other woman had ever achieved. Tears welled up in his vibrant blue eyes, which his son Michael had inherited. "Bron, I'm not worth it." He declared.

"Yes you are G Callen. You have a heart of pure gold." She gently brushed his tears from off his cheeks, as he crumbled into her arms and cried.

"I'm so sorry Bron. I'm sorry." He gently pulled her hair back to hold her head as he captured her lips with his. They were salty from both of their tears but neither cared. He lifted up her leg and pull her up onto his hips and carried her to the work bench. He quickly moved his work to the side and held her firmly on her hips, as his mouth covered her jaw, neck and shoulders with kisses. "I'm not good at this."

"You're doing great." Bronte breathed out as her body shook from the shock of pleasure he sent through her body.

Callen laughed. "No not this. This I have no problem with." His face reddened a bit. "I mean, I'm not good when it comes to relationships." He admitted.

"I'm known for my patience." She laughed as his hands moved under her dress and lightly tickled her.

He stopped, but for a moment. "So what you are saying, is that you are willing to move from New York to LA, for us to give this thing we have a go?"

Bronte nodded. "Definitely." This time it was Bronte who moved in and kissed him firmly on the lips.

"Then you don't need to find a house. We have room for two more." She laughed at the smirk he gave her.

"Are you ready for that G?" She asked, with a more serious tone in her voice. This wasn't something light that he had proposed.

"Yes." He admitted, as he picked her up again and carried her inside the house and fell onto the bed. "Welcome home."

**The End**

_Thank you for reading my story and for those of you who have followed, favourited and reviewed. This story was never meant to be a long one. Although there is so much more I could have delved into in this story, this came to me and it felt right to end it here. _


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